Your Blood in Mine
by mountaingirl47
Summary: To save her life, Amu must tie herself to the tree planted before her birth. As the Angel of Death, Ikuto must stop humans from living too long. After a few hundred years without aging, Amu gets discovered by Ikuto and he must decide what to do. AMUTO!
1. Chapter 1

Morg: Heyo! Yes, this is ANOTHER new story by yours truly.

Ikuto: How in the world do you have the time for this?

Amu: Yeah! You're writing 15 Shugo Chara stories now.

Morg: I don't sleep…

Ikuto: That explains a lot, actually.

Amu: Thank God you don't own us.

Morg: Enjoy this one! It's going to be a crazy ride! This starts WAY back in time. Like WAY back. Like using fires to cook food and for lights but no fancy lamps or candles back in time.

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

"There isn't a problem with the woman. The problem is with the spirits. Plan this seed and you'll conceive a child."

Tsumugu followed the old woman's words exactly. Nine months to the day the seed was planted, his wife, Midori, gave birth to a beautiful girl with pink hair. On that same day, the tree sprouted.

XXX

"Midori, Midori, my dear. Where are you?"

Hearing her husband's calls, Midori rocked her baby girl in her arms. "This is the tree, Amu. This is the tree that appeased the gods and allowed us to give you life. We're going to make sure it grows up big and beautiful, just like you."

"Midori! Mid- oh there you are! What are you doing out here with little Amu-chan?"

Watching her husband walk up with a loving look in her eyes, Midori motioned towards the small amount of green above the ground. "I was showing Amu-chan her tree."

Tsumugu gently knelt to examine the small plant. "We'll take care of it too. We have much to be thankful for. Now let's get you and little Amu inside. She's barely a day old and you need to rest."

Midori allowed her husband to take the small infant out of her arms and walk them both back inside their small house. She just knew that that tree wasn't done giving her child life.

XXX

"Tsumugu! Have you seen Amu-chan?"

The two parents began searching the house for their one year old daughter. She had only just figured out how to walk, albeit a little unsteadily still, she could go pretty far. "I don't think she's in the house!"

They widened their search and discovered their daughter playing with one of the branches of her tree. The small tree was growing just as fast as their Amu-chan and was now several feet tall. The young branches held a few cherry blossoms and Amu loved to stare at them. She spent most of her time under her tree, watching the wind blow its branches and leaves.

Her parents were glad to have found her there, but mortified that she'd managed to get outside without them knowing. They were going to have to start watching their daughter very carefully.

XXX

"Hello Tree, its Amu-chan. Momma said not to come out here today because I'm not feeling too good, but I wanted to say hello. Have a good day, Tree-san and drink up lots of sun and water!"

Amu scurried back into her house before her mother ever knew that the ill pinkette had been outside. Snuggling deep into her blankets, Amu wished she could be outside with Tree. She loved Tree. Tree was her best friend.

XXX

Midori let out a sob as Tsumugu held her close. The doctor just kept talking. "I've never seen this illness before. There is nothing I can do for her. Little Amu-chan has to fight this on her own or die. Those are the two options. I'm sorry."

Tsumugu couldn't figure out what went wrong. The tree was still healthy. His Amu-chan should be fine if the gods really did accept the tree as a gift for the life of their daughter.

Amu lay nearby. She could hear her parents crying and talking with the man that had poked her with his cold fingers as she dozed. Her mother had called him a doctor but Amu wasn't so sure about the man. If he was as good as her momma had said then why were they crying? Why did she feel so weak?

"_Amu-chan, Amu-chan, come out and play with me._"

Amu tried to sit up, she really did, but her body was too heavy. Slowly, oh so slowly she managed to roll herself over to face her room rather than her wall. The urge to be outside was so strong, the little pinkette thought that she might fly out of her bed. She wanted to know who was calling for her. She needed to know.

XXX

"She's gone! Tsumugu! Amu-chan is gone! Where is she! Where is she?"

Tsumugu rushed to his wife's side as they frantically began searching for their sick daughter. A little girl so badly ill that she shouldn't have been able to move out of her bed. "You don't think…"

"THE TREE!"

X

Amu finally made it to her beautiful tree. It had been weeks since she was allowed outside to see it and the pinkette had never felt so lonely. "Hello there Tree-san." *cough cough cough* "I'm sorry that I haven't been out to see you in a while. I miss you Tree-san." *cough cough cough*

A soft breeze blew the branches of her tree as if it was waving to her. "_Amu-chan, why didn't you visit? I was lonely._"

Amu struggled forwards until she collapsed against the trunk of the young tree. "Momma wouldn't let me outside. She said a dying girl doesn't need to be outside."

"_But Amu-chan isn't going to die. You only need to do what I say. Can you do that, Amu-chan?_"

Gripping the bark with the very little strength the four year old girl had left, she nodded. "Yes, Tree-san."

X

"Amu! Amu-chan! Oh what were you thinking! Wake up Amu-chan! Let go of the tree! We need to get you back inside."

Amu fought her hardest to open her eyes. "No, Momma. I need to be with Tree-san. You must help me, Momma. Do what Tree-san says."

Midori, being at her wits end and losing her only child, slowed down to hear what the small pinkette had to say. "What does Tree-san say we should do?"

"Get a knife, Momma. Get a knife."

Midori sent Tsumugu running for one with just one look. He returned less than a minute later with the only sturdy knife the family owned. "Papa got it for you, Amu-chan."

Amu nodded and leaned her head back before raising her arms. "You must cut me with the knife. Tree-san says that it's going to hurt for just a little bit but then I'll get all better."

Tsumugu stared at his wife in horror. There was no way that he could hurt his little girl. There was also no way that he was going to make his wife do it. In one quick motion, he made too shallow cuts on his daughter's arms. Afterwards he dropped the knife and dropped to his knees. "I'm sorry, Amu-chan! I'm so sorry!"

Wanting to be able to comfort her father, Amu smiled just a little. "Tree-san says that Momma must cut into Tree-san and make the sap come out."

Midori felt a little less guilty about stabbing the blade with her daughter's blood on it into the tree than her husband felt about cutting their daughter. "What does Tree-san want us to do now, Amu-chan?"

The small pinkette lifted her heavy head and struggled with all of her might to get herself to her feet. Both her mother and father reached to help her but she stopped them. "No, I must do this part myself or else this won't work."

Midori and Tsumugu snatched back their hands and stifled sobs as their young girl managed to get to her feet and move towards the spot where the tree bled. With fascination and horror they watched as their daughter made sure that some of her blood went into the tree's wound and vice versa.

Amu collapsed once more at the base of her tree. "You can take me inside now, Momma. Tree-san said that I'll get better soon."

Wasting not a moment, Tsumugu snatched up his daughter and hurried her inside to treat her cuts. By the time they got Amu on their table and a bowl of water with a rag ready, the cuts were gone.

XXX

Lulu, the girl that was once human called herself Lulu. Well, she _had_ before Ikuto killed her. But hey, it was his job to make sure that regular humans didn't acquire the powers to live longer than they should. Lulu was not his first victim and she would not be his last. As the Angel of Death, Ikuto was forever hunting down those that tried to escape him.

XXX

"Happy birthday, Amu-chan! You're six now! What are you going to wish for?"

The pinkette was all smiles on her special day. "Tree-san says not to tell you or it won't come true."

Any other parent would worry about the fact that their child talked to a tree. Midori and Tsumugu were simply used to it by now. Since the day their daughter had almost died but was saved by the tree planted to please the gods and allow her to be conceived she was constantly talking and saying that the tree could talk back. Considering that their daughter was in fact alive even after being so close to death, Midori and Tsumugu decided that they would believe whatever their Amu-chan said about her 'Tree-san'.

Tsumugu ruffled his daughter's hair and beamed at his once again pregnant wife. "I couldn't wish for anything more."

Amu giggled as she hugged her papa tight. "I love you, Papa!"

"I love you too, Amu-chan."

_"Soon Amu-chan, soon enough you will have only me to love._"

XXX

"Tree-san! This is Ami! She's my new sister! Isn't she beautiful, Tree-san? I know that she'll love you just as much as I do! She's so precious."

_"I'm your Tree-san, Amu-chan. Just as you are my Amu-chan. Don't forget that."_

Amu sighed as she ran her hand over the bark of her tree. "I won't forget."

"Amu-chan! Bring Ami back in the house! We don't want her to get too cold!"

Without a backwards glance, Amu cooed at her younger sister as she carried the baby girl into the house. She did not notice the branches of her tree quivering without the aid of wind at the abrupt departure of the pinkette. The tree disliked it when it was ignored, especially by the pinkette. By mixing its sap with Amu's blood, the tree had linked them in a way that could only be broken if one of them were to die. The tree wasn't about to die and that meant that neither was Amu. They would be together forever. No knew siblings or her parents would prevent that. The tree only had to wait.

XXX

Having only been to town one other time in her life, Amu-chan was excited when she and her papa returned home from the four day journey. He had told her that since she was nine now, she could go with him. The first thing the pinkette did was kiss her momma and sister hello. The second thing she did was go to talk to her tree.

"I wish that I could have taken you with me into town, Tree-san. I didn't know anyone there but Papa introduced me to some kids around my age and we had fun. There was so much to do and see in town. It was a lot of fun! I can't wait to go back!"

_"Amu-chan! Don't speak like that! If you go back to town then I won't get to see you every day. Do you want that?"_

Amu quieted down to do some heavy thinking. Tree-san was her only friend at her house, but she'd met so many other boys and girls her own age in the nearby village. They could all run around and play with her in a way that Tree-san couldn't. Amu felt guilty but she did want to go back and play with the other children. "I want to go back, Tree-san. You don't have to be sad when I'm away. I'll always come home to you."

_"I know, Amu-chan. I just worry. The last time you were away from me for so long you got sick."_

Amu didn't have to think hard about what the tree was referring to. When she was four, she almost died from an unknown illness. Only by mixing her blood with Tree-san's sap was Amu able to still be alive. A ritual that they had to repeat four times a year. Tree-san stated that it had to be done with the changing of each season. Amu no longer needed her parents to help her to complete it and when Ami was older, they'd explain everything to her. "Tree-san, I'll always do as you ask. Don't worry. I love you."

This time the tree quivered with happiness as the pinkette walked away. "_I'll make sure that you love me forever, Amu."_

.

Morg: So there's the first chapter.

Ikuto: I hunt down humans that live too long by 'magical' means?

Amu: And I'm a human that is living too long by those 'magical' means?

Morg: Yes. Your points?

Ikuto: I thought this was an Amuto! I don't want to kill Amu!

Amu: I don't want to live forever! Especially if Ikuto can't die either!

Morg: Just wait and see you two. Calm down.

Ikuto: At least this is an M.

Amu: WHAT!

Morg: He…hehehe… review?


	2. Chapter 2

Morg: Heyo! Sorry for taking forever on this one guys! I know where it's going but I'm having a hard time getting it there.

Ikuto: Lame!

Amu: The tree is creepy. You could've taken longer to update.

Morg: It's supposed to be creepy!

Ikuto: Then you did a good job.

Amu: Are you complimenting her?

Morg: This is weird. Quick tell me something to make me realize that this is happening.

Ikuto: You are dirt poor and you don't own anything.

Amu: Nice one!

Morg: Thanks…

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

"Nagi."

The name simply had to be spoken for the sprite to appear before his master. "Yes Ikuto."

The blue haired angel of death watched another one of his soon to be victims as he exited a small hut in the middle of dense forest. "You are to follow up on the talk of an old woman with a youthful look. She's been alive far too long."

Nagi bowed his head. "What would you like me to do?"

"Terminate her. This hermit by the name of Tsukasa will be time consuming for me, but this girl needs to be taken care of."

Nagi faded out of sight without moving his body as Ikuto went back to watching the old man. Right before he could make his move, the hermit glanced up at him with a smile and disappeared. Cursing, Ikuto made his way down to the hut to take a look around and see if there were any clues to where the man might have gone.

XXX

"Come on Ami! I'll race you to Tree-san!"

The pinkette laughed as her younger brown haired sister ran with all her might. Amu made sure to slow down so that her sister had a fighting chance. At the last second, Amu tripped over something on the ground and fell forward onto the tree.

"Amu-chan beat me!"

Amu smiled apologetically at her baby sister. She hadn't meant to beat the younger girl. In fact, she usually let Ami win and have whatever she wanted, but Amu had tripped. The odd part was the ground was completely flat where she'd been running. There was no way she should have tripped considering the amount of times she'd run from their house to Tree-san. Just as Amu looked back, a small bump disappeared back into the ground.

XXX

There were rumors of a beautiful lady holding onto her youth well past her years. Nagi had dealt with plenty of beautiful women, although none of them were beautiful past skin deep. Every single one he'd dealt with was staying young by stealing youth or something else from other young women. This girl was most likely no different. At least that's what Nagi thought until he saw her. Long blonde hair that reached to her petit lower back. Big golden eyes that seemed to see and understand everything. This was bad; this was very, very bad. Nagi found her more attractive than every other woman he'd ever had to deal with. What was the nonhuman sprite to do?

XXX

Ikuto smirked as he figured out what was happening. With that smirk still in place he made himself invisible and moved as if he was leaving. After waiting no more than two minutes, the hermit Tsukasa reappeared. Ikuto stayed in his invisible state and watched as the old man moved around his hut in solitude. He didn't seem threatening, but Ikuto knew that a disposition like the hermit's never lasted long. Eventually he'd think he could help someone or do something to change the world and leave his little hut in the woods for the rest of the world and wreck havoc with his powers. The best thing to do would be to put an end to the man here and now, but Ikuto's hand stayed. He had been about to call forth his powers to snuff out Tsukasa's life, but something stopped him.

With a sigh, the older man took a seat at his table and gestured to the chair across from him without looking at Ikuto. "You and I both know that you're still here. Come and join me."

Slightly taken aback, Ikuto presented himself to the room and took the empty chair. "You have lived past your time, old man."

Tsukasa smiled at the jab. "I hardly look thirty years of age. What makes you think I'm an old man?"

"Nothing escapes me. How is it that you've maintained your youth?"

The smile stayed on his young face as the hermit shifted slightly in his chair. "I thought you said that nothing got past you? Is it really so hard to believe that I am the age that I say I am?"

Ikuto's fists hit the table with a resounding thud. "Don't patronize me. We both know who I am and what I do. Give me one good reason not to end your life right here and now."

Tsukasa leaned back in his chair but kept his friendly smile firmly in place. "You've been watching me, Death. I know you have. I can feel it when your gaze is upon me. Tell me, in all the while that you've been watching me, have I done anything to warrant your punishment?"

Ikuto sighed and leaned back. He hated the ones that thought they were smart enough to trick him into letting them live longer lives. "You told me yourself that you knew I was watching. How can I consider what you've been doing as normal behavior if you know I've been watching you?"

Tsukasa frowned a little at that. "I hadn't thought of that."

Ikuto was slightly stunned. Never before had any of them been so truthful with him. "So, was it all an act?"

"I'm a horrible pretender. One of the many reasons that I live secluded. People always did hear what I thought even if it wasn't good. I've gotten my share of bruises for it too."

"My pity will only save you from a slow death."

Tsukasa laughed a little before leaning forward so his chin was on his hands with his elbows on the table. "I wasn't looking for your pity. I've lived a long life. Whenever you feel as though it should be ended, I will not stop you."

Ikuto stared into the man's eyes. There he could see just how old the man was. Those eyes had seen a lot, but not nearly as much as Ikuto's. "Are you asking me to spare your life now?"

The older man leaned back in his chair once more. His smile was gone but he didn't look angry, just content. "I cannot die by my own will. Only you have the power to end it and I do not have the power to stop you. Do as you see fit."

He wasn't second guessing himself. Ikuto never did that. He was simply weighing his options. On the one hand, he could end this man's existence and move on, but he could also spare it for now and call upon him in the future if need ever arise. "As long as you stay in your woods, you are no threat to mean or any other human. Stay in your woods."

Tsukasa nodded before bowing his head. "I understand. May your judgment be swift the day it comes."

Ikuto smirked before vanishing. This time he disappeared and left the hut for real. Tsukasa let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Not many people could say that they talked with Death and lived.

XXX

Nagi was torn. His orders were clear but he couldn't carry them out with a smooth conscious. Ikuto had commanded that he take care of the witch that was too young to be human still. The thing was, Nagi watched her and he watched her like a hawk. Nothing the girl did in the two months he stared at her from afar warranted any action. She simply loved people. She made them laugh and she made them cry but never in a harmful way. If there was ever such a thing as a good witch then it was her, but Nagi couldn't sense any magic coming from her. Most witches had some kind of pendant that they kept their stolen youth in. This girl had nothing that she wasn't willing to part with.

The day they met was an accident. Nagi was watching again when a sudden gust of wind blew up. His hair, though he be invisible, was sent flying. The girl he was watching had a similar problem, only the cloth she wore in her hair was sent soaring through the air. All it took was a disappointed cry for Nagi to instantly appear with it in his hands before her. The girl's eyes went wide as they took in the avenging angel.

Nagi silently berated himself for giving away the fact that he was onto her, but the girl only smiled before taking the cloth back from him. "Thank you."

He'd heard her voice before but never spoken to him. "You're welcome…"

"Rima."

A smile graced his features and she swore her heart beat just a little faster. "You're welcome, Rima."

XXX

Amu stood under her tree and stared up at the branches forming a roof over her head. Something felt off. Today was the first day of fall and she needed to perform her bonding ceremony with Tree-san but she had a foreboding feeling in her twelve year old gut. Whatever it was, was telling her to not complete the ritual.

"_Amu-chan, what's the matter? Come on, tell Tree-san all about it."_

Amu shook herself before holding the knife up to her arm. Despite the fact that she regularly cut into her arms to mix her blood with the tree's sap, there were no scars on her perfect flesh. "Something is telling me not to do this. Are you sure I have to?"

_"Yes Amu-chan. Without this ritual you will die. Don't forget so soon how I saved your life."_

A sigh escaped her lips. Amu nodded her head before digging the tip of the blade into her flesh and pulled causing the skin to tear as it gave way to the knife. A tingling sensation burst from her finger tips and ran all the way up to her shoulder, but Amu was used to the feeling. She simply ignored it as she cut open her other arm before moving to make the correct cuts into the tree. When enough sap was leaking from the wounds that she'd created into the bark, Amu brought her bleeding appendages forwards and pressed them to the tree's wounds.

Then she waited for the surge that always shot through her body, signaling that the ceremony had been a success yet again. The feeling usually left a slight tingling in her feet for a few days but Amu didn't mind. Tree-san was simply trying to save her life and keep her alive. Amu owed the tree so much and loved it dearly. "Keep me safe for another season, Tree-san."

_"I'll keep you safe forever, Amu-chan."_

The young girl smiled, not understanding what the tree was trying to tell her.

XXX

"Tell me Nagi-san, why is it that you're here. Everyone else comes to me with problems that I can easily fix, but you are an anomaly."

Nagi smirked as he walked beside the young beauty. "What if I told you I'm not human?"

"I'd believe you."

The look on her face told him that she was completely serious. "Well, I'm not. I am a familiar to the Angel of Death. A sprite, if you will. I was sent here to investigate the rumors of a woman of exceptional beauty and youth that should not accompany her years. Do you know of anyone that fits this description?"

"So you're the one that has been watching me. Kind of creepy, don't you think?"

Nagi shrugged off her comment and continued. "Usually I can discover the witch's secret without hesitation, but you are intriguing."

Rima shot one of her eyebrows into the air as she took in the compliment. At least she thought it was a complement. "You flatter me."

"I didn't mean to. I simply haven't been able to discover the secret of your power and until I do, I'll keep watching you."

Rima turned with a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. "What are you, a stalker?"

Nagi returned the grin that she was trying so hard to fight off. "I'm just merely curious as to how you do it. Don't worry, I always get what I want."

His words sent shivers down her spine. Rima did her best to maintain her composure. Nagi was definitely turning out to be an interesting creature. Maybe they could have some fun before he had to kill her. "I don't know how I do it either. If I could find an off switch then I'd make it stop."

Nagi's jaw dropped. This girl was definitely different from all the others.

.

Morg: Sort of dull, but after I get all the characters introduced, the story will move right along.

Ikuto: This is lame.

Amu: I kind of like it. Makes me think of traditional Japanese stories.

Morg: That's what I was going for. Review if you agree or disagree!


	3. Chapter 3

Morg: Heyo! I know, I know. I'm a horrible person for taking forever to update this one.

Ikuto: Got that right!

Amu: I'm not so sure. I think you're a wonderful person.

Morg: Just so you know, the tree is supposed to be creepy. Let me know if it isn't!

Ikuto: Well you don't own us or the tree so it's not like you'll succeed anyways.

Amu: Well, that was harsh.

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

"Nagihiko."

Once again, all it took was for his master to speak his name for Nagi to appear before him. "You called for me."

Ikuto didn't bother to glance over at his familiar as he watched a young witch perform her life steeling ritual. "Have you killed that witch yet?"

A grimace covered his features for only a second before Nagi put on a blank mask. Rima was so much more than 'that witch'. Ikuto just didn't know her. "I cannot find her weakness. There is no object that she uses."

Silence met the familiar's ears as he waited for his master to command him. The witch that Ikuto was currently watching was so boring. She used a gem in a necklace to store the youth that she stole from other young women. This would be a simple kill, almost unworthy of him doing it himself. "She could be a pure witch. That is possible. Though, it may just be that she's good at hiding how she does it. I assume that she knows of your presence."

"Yes sir."

"Good, then get to know her better. If it turns out that she is a pure witch then we'll have to convince her to join us or I will have to personally take her soul."

"Yes master. I will do as you say."

For the first time, Ikuto turned to look at his subordinate. "Nagihiko, if you cannot convince her then I will kill her, even if you do fall in love with her."

His master was definitely all seeing. Nagi couldn't help but feel a pull towards the girl he was spending a lot of his time with. "I understand, master."

Ikuto dismissed his underling before turning back to the witch he'd discovered by chance. She was still extremely young but he might as well take care of her now before she got more powerful. Not that she'd be difficult for him to handle even if she lived another hundred years.

The angel of death sauntered up to the witch's door and knocked. The look on her face when she opened the door was one of boredom that quickly shifted to shock and then lust. This was the response that Ikuto usually received when he was approaching his next victim. "What can I help _you_ with?"

He wanted to roll his eyes or show the disgust that he felt on his face, but that would alert the young witch as to the fact that he was onto her. "Just need some advice."

"It doesn't come for free."

"How much do you charge?"

The young girl looked his body up and down before she licked her lips in a sultry action. "Usually I ask for gold but I might just allow you to pay with your body."

This is where Ikuto had to make his decision. Granted, in the past he had had some fun with a girl or two before he killed them, but not for a few centuries. They were starting to bore him. Their reactions were always the same. "How about I make you pay with your soul."

Her eyes stretched wide as she shrieked. A knife protruded from her chest. The aim had been perfect to not only pierce her heart but also the stone that held her powers. If both were not destroyed then she could easily come back to life. The body crumpled into dust before disappearing, leaving only a knife with a gem stuck on the blade.

Ikuto retrieved his dagger. The gem fell of easily; then again he wasn't human so strength wasn't an issue for him. What another boring death.

XXX

"Rima."

The blonde being called for turned to find the man she'd been looking for. "Nagi."

The long haired sprite nodded to her as he fell into step beside her. "I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly. I was being summoned."

The excuse that he presented intrigued Rima. "So you are summoned by your master whenever he needs you?"

"All he needs to do is say my name and I'll instantly appear before him. I have no control of it."

Very interesting. "So you better not do anything risky then, huh? If he can summon you at any moment."

One of his eyebrows lifted as Nagihiko looked over at the shorter girl walking beside him. He could faintly detect the hint of a blush on her cheeks. "My master wouldn't bat an eyelash even if I appeared before him naked."

Silence welcomed them for a few steps before Rima sighed. "So what did he want?"

How was he supposed to explain that to her? "To see if I figured out how you were keeping yourself alive yet. He says that pure witches do exist and if you are indeed a pure witch then you will either have to join us or my master will rip your soul from your body himself."

Rima sent a startled look to the boy that had just bluntly told her everything. "So I suppose he wants you to get close to me to figure out if I am one of these pure witches or not, and then use any emotional attachment that may occur to sway me into joining your cause."

Nagihiko had to admit that this witch was rather smart. She seemed to think about things unlike some of the other witches he'd dealt with in the past. All they thought about was power and youth. Rima was like a breath of fresh air. "Yes."

"I think I already know what I would choose."

Nagi glanced quickly at the girl by his side but no matter how he asked her to tell him, she refused. Rima still wanted to keep a few secrets to herself.

XXX

The wind blew through the branches, causing the leaves to dance and create an ever changing pattern of sun and shade on the ground that she rested upon. The fourteen year old body that was sprawled across the grass was growing into one of a woman's. Amu kicked her feet in the air as she played with the blade of grass between her fingers. Talking with Tree-san was a daily thing that her family knew better than to interrupt.

"I think that he may like me. Papa says that I'm still too young for any boys to be asking for me, but I might like him back."

_This boy sounds like trouble to me, Amu-chan. Your papa is right, though. You are too young for boys. Much too young._

Amu rolled her eyes before she flipped over onto her back to stare up at the glimpses of blue sky that she could just make out through the branches of her tree. "Seia-chan from the next village over is no older than I am and her papa is already marrying her off. He says that she should start having children young so that she can have a son to carry on her husband's line."

_Amu-chan, you might not be able to have children. _

"What?"

_Don't be angry with me. I saved your life but that illness that almost took you from me may have taken your ability to have children. You are only alive because you are tied to me. Even if you do get married, you still have to return here._

This wasn't what the pinkette wanted to hear from her best friend. Instead of being discouraging, Tree-san should have been reassuring her that everything was going to be alright. That even if she couldn't have children, a man would come to love her and marry her anyways.

Tears welled up in her golden eyes. They dripped down the sides of her face to leak into the ground. The tree watched as the pinkette cried, secretly wishing that she could soak up those tears for itself.

After a few more moments of crying, Amu pushed herself up and sniffled. "I'm going back inside to help Mama now, Tree-san. I'll see you later."

_I'm sorry to have to say that to you, Amu-chan. But children would only make it harder for us to continue our bond._

The young girl nodded before she walked away rubbing her cheeks to make the tears tracks disappear before her mother saw them.

_You age the same as I do, Amu-chan. You will never marry. I'll make sure of that._

Despite her daughter's efforts to rid herself of her messy face, Midori realized right away that she'd been crying. "What's the matter, Amu-chan?"

That one simple question brought on another wave of tears for the young girl. "T-Tree-san says that I won't b-be able to hav-have children."

Motherly instincts took over as Midori took her daughter into her arms and hushed her until she stopped crying. "Your tree may have saved your life, but it cannot possibly know if you'll be able to have children. You'll just have to meet a nice boy and get married to find out, won't you?"

Amu smiled despite her want to cry again and nodded. "Thanks Mama."

"You're welcome, Amu-chan. Now, should make supper before your father gets back from the fields? I'm certain that he's going to be hungry again today. We better not talk about this in front of him if we want to have a peaceful family meal."

Giggles slipped from Amu's lips to fill the silence of the room. Her papa could be crazy sometimes, but Amu loved him anyways. All of the depression that she'd been feeling only moments before quickly disappeared with her mother's reassuring smile. Tree-san might be her best friend, but her mama was her mama and was the best at making her feel better.

The smiling girl had no idea that her tree was already plotting a way to keep Amu all to itself.

.

Morg: Not as long as I wanted it to be, but oh well!

Ikuto: So lame.

Amu: I don't know. I think the way you killed that girl was pretty cool.

Morg: Did you just admit to think that Ikuto is cool?

Ikuto: I believe she did.

Amu: No! I said what he did was cool!

Morg: That's the same thing.

Ikuto: Hell yeah! Amu thinks I'm cool!

Amu: I do not!

Morg: Review if you heard Amu admit that she likes Ikuto!

Ikuto: Definitely does!

Amu: How did this turn into me liking him! WTF!


	4. Chapter 4

Morg: Heyo!

Ikuto: Been a while.

Amu: Yeah well, I don't really mind.

Morg: Don't be that way.

Ikuto: She's actually really happy right now.

Amu: Neither of you would know! You don't own me!

Morg: Good point.

Ikuto: I disagree.

Amu: Just read…

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

Strong legs wrapped around his waist but all Ikuto did was smirk. The girl he had pinned between him and the wall was all about kissing him. His lips, his cheeks, his neck, basically anywhere she could reach. Ikuto didn't necessarily hate the attention he was receiving at the moment; however, the girl stole youth from young men through sexual release. She was expecting to suck Ikuto dry and stay young for another fifty years or so.

Ikuto had other plans for this girl. He knew for a fact that her powers were stored in the flower that she always wore on her person. The confirmation had come when he'd watched her chase the damn thing when the 'wind' had grabbed it from her hair. If it was just a normal flower then she would have let it go and sought out a new one. But the witch had chased the damn thing for over a mile before brushing it off ever so carefully and returning it to her person.

It was the same flower she now wore in her hair. All he had to do was twitch his fingers and call out his dagger. The flower was pierced and he watched it wither without her noticing since she was too absorbed in stealing his youth. Not until the thing was dead did he move his dagger to pierce into her heart.

The scream that filled the air faded away as her body turned to ashes before he could move himself away. Dusting himself off, Ikuto turned away without a second thought. "Utau."

Instantly a tall girl with blonde hair appears before him. "Yes?"

"Have you found him yet?"

"No sir. I have heard the rumors of the wolf boy but I haven't located him yet. There have been signs as well. I'm closing in."

"Find him. You know what to do. Call me if you need me. And Utau."

"Yes?"

"You shouldn't need me."

"Yes, Ikuto."

XXX

The lone pinkette stood before the two wooden crosses. The house that she and her sister grew up in was just behind her. This is where her parents asked her to bury them. They died while still rather young in Amu's eyes but old compared to others. Her sister was already married and moved away with her family. Amu was the only one left at her home.

The tie to her tree prevented her from aging like a regular human. Ami looked older than her older sister now. There was nothing Amu could do about it so she stopped going into town. The people there were confused when she didn't age between visits as stared to say things about her. Wanting to avoid some sort of scandal, Midori asked her daughter to remain at their house.

With her parents now gone however, Amu felt rather lonely.

_'You are not alone, Amu-chan. You still have me here. As long as we perform the ritual, you can continue living healthily'._

Still standing over her parents' graves. Amu didn't know how to respond. Throughout the years, Tree-san had always been there for her. Giving advice and helping her through the troubled times right after her mother died. It wasn't long after that when her father passed as well. If it wasn't for Tree-san, Amu was certain that grief would have claimed her.

Ami was no longer an option. In a few years, her sister's children would look older than Amu herself and there was nothing Amu could do about it. There was no way to explain to them so after a heartfelt goodbye, Ami and Amu decided to never see each other again.

"You're right, Tree-san. I still have you. Will I have to continue this forever?"

_'We've talked about this, Amu-chan. As long as you mix your blood in mine you can live forever with me. Don't you want to be with me? I don't want to live without you.'_

With a sigh, Amu turned to face the tree that had given her a second chance at life. "I won't leave you yet, but I can't stay here forever. Until I look of age, I will live here off the land and keep my connections to you. Eventually, I'm going to leave and see what else is in this world."

The tree quivered as Amu turned away from it and walked into her house. _Say what you want, Amu-chan. I hold a power over you that you haven't had to experience yet. I will not hesitate to force you to come back to me. You are mine._

XXX

Stalking through the woods, fresh on a trail, Utau stilled for any sign of the beast she was tracking. Silence greeted her ears. She knew she was close because a forest was usually not this still. Something that was not supposed to be there was there. Utau only needed to find it.

Before the blonde could turn her head, she was thrust to the ground with a firm body on top of hers, causing her to be unable to stand up. "Well, well. What do we have here?"

The man's body would have held down a regular human without much effort, however, Utau was no regular human. With strength she shouldn't have had, she flung the beast off her back and spun to face him as he stood. All his naked glory met her eyes and for a split moment, she felt her cheeks heat at the sight.

"Do you like what you see?"

Even his smile was wolfish. "Not particularly. I've seen a lot in my travels."

"You can say what you like, princess, but I know you've never seen anything like me. I know that for a fact because I'm one of a kind."

Before Utau could designate a response, the man before her dropped to his hands and feet. In front of her eyes, he transformed into a wolf and took off through the trees. Not wanting to lose him since she finally found him, Utau gave to the chase.

Following the wolf's tracks through the trees, Utau used her powers to transport herself ahead so that she could keep up with the fast pace of the creature before her. In the spare seconds she had to think, Utau couldn't help but admit to herself that the wolf boy was rather good looking. Though most magical people that stole life from others were, this boy was something more.

Shaking the thoughts away, Utau followed the creature deeps in the forests of the mountains. Snow fell but she didn't turn back. The cold meant nothing to her. Ahead, a cave stood out against the rocky side of a mountain. The prints led into it so Utau followed them. Just as she made it past the entrance, she was once again grabbed from behind. This time, however, she was held against a chest rather than thrown to the ground.

"I don't know what you are, but I like you."

Utau scoffed before struggling a little to escape the hold she was in. "Let go. It is my job to kill you."

The wolf turned man only scoffed before lowering his mouth to her ear. "My name is Kukai and you won't be killing me. I've decided that you'll be mine."

Utau was too stunned to answer.

XXX

Ikuto stared over the countryside. His job would forever keep him busy throughout all time. People lived with greediness in their hearts and it was his job to rid them of it. Unfortunately, he didn't have a target at the moment but two of his familiars were working for him. He knew that Utau was going to have her hands full with the wolf she was chasing, and Nagi had already reported that he still couldn't find Rima's source of power even though he was spending all of his time with her.

Not that Ikuto minded. He liked being alone. The world felt less at odds with him when he could just be silent and observe what was happening. His powers called to him, however, and the Angel of Death knew that another person was taking what was not theirs. This time he was going to have to travel far to find the source of the tingling in his mind. Not that he minded. The world was his to patrol.

XXX

"Rima, you would tell me if you really did have a power source, right?"

The blonde laughed as she snuggled deeper into the chest she was currently cuddling with. The relationship she had with Nagihiko had definitely changed during the years they spent together. "Of course I would. Do you have any idea how much I would hate myself for lying to you?"

"Good."

"Why did you ask?"

Nagi sighed before pulling her even closer. "I don't like the idea of finding it and having to kill you. I'd rather keep you."

The blonde laughed again. "I promise you that I have no secret stash of youth or whatever it is that keeps other witches alive. I just don't age. I can't figure it out myself."

"That is just fine with me."

"Why do you say that?"

It was Nagi's turn to laugh. "Because I don't age either. This way, we have forever to figure out why you aren't normal."

Rima kept her smile in place as she placed a light kiss onto Nagi's lips. "I like the sound of that."

XXX

"This is ridiculous! You have to let me out sometime!"

Kukai just chuckled from his spot on the floor of his cave. He wasn't sure why he had the power that he did, but Utau couldn't leave him now that he'd claimed her.

"Why did you bite me anyways? Did you think it was going to make me turn into a wolf like you? You know I'm not human, right?"

Laughing again, Kukai patted the ground beside his naked body. Despite Utau telling him to put clothes on, the man had none to wear. Besides, he was comfortable with his naked body and Utau was now his mate. She got to see him naked.

"I'm not sitting beside you! Put some clothes on!"

"I've told you before, I marked you as mine. You cannot leave me now. I don't get how it works, my instincts just told me to do it."

Utau scoffed. "Either way, my master will call for me soon and I'll be freed from you."

"You have another man?"

Turning in shock, Utau took in the fierce look that the wolf man directed towards her. Swallowing, she chose her words carefully. "He is not my mate. He is my master. I serve him."

"Then I will fight him and take you for myself."

Sighing, Utau slid down the wall she was standing beside. Deciding that no matter how she tried to explain it, Kukai just wouldn't understand who Ikuto was, Utau let it drop. "So what am I supposed to do here anyways? I mean, what's the point in keeping me here?"

Kukai smirked before licking his lips in an all too animalistic way. "That's an easy question to answer. You're my mate so we're going to do what mates do. That's why you should come sit by me. However, I don't mind coming to you. I chose right."

Silently, Utau swallowed hard. The look she was receiving made her go weak in the knees for some unfathomable reason. Her only hope was for Ikuto to call for her soon.

.

Morg: I like this story more and more.

Ikuto: I don't. Amu spends all her time with a creepy tree.

Amu: Yeah, and I'm forever 12?

Morg: Naw! That's only for a little bit longer! You'll just have to wait and read more!

Ikuto: Review then.

Amu: Yeah, so she'll update.


	5. Chapter 5

Morg: Heyo! I'm so glad everyone really loves this story!

Ikuto: Not everyone does.

Amu: I suppose it could improve some.

Morg: Be nice! I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while! Broke my knuckle!

Ikuto: So what?

Amu: You don't own us.

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

"It has been over seventy five years and just now I look sixteen. I'm leaving for a while, Tree-san. I will miss you, but lying to everyone in the area and telling them that I'm the daughter of the last Amu and that my father named me after my mother when she died giving birth to me is starting to be unbelievable. I'll return some day."

The tree had not a chance to respond as Amu slung a pack over her shoulder, gave one last look at her house and started walking down the road. The trees and bushes that had been planted years and years before had grown tall enough to block the small house from the road.

The moment Amu was out of sight, the tree began to shake. Its roots moved beneath the ground and its branches lashed out at the air around it. Amu would definitely be back sooner than she thought she would be. Tree-san would make sure of that.

_Go and see what little you can before I call you back to me, Amu. This is a connection that you will never be able to break._

XXX

Ah Asia. For being gone as long as he had been and watching the other parts of the world starting to develop, Ikuto sure did miss Asia. Now that he was back in the area he decided to check in with his two familiars working there for him.

"Nagihiko."

Instantly the purple haired helper to the Angel of Death appeared before his master. "Sir."

"Report."

"Nothing has changed. Rima still has to discernible power source. She has helped me in several cases of taking care some of the smaller threats. I recommend you employ her as well."

Ikuto nodded his head without looking at the other nonhuman. Knowing Nagi as Ikuto did, he knew that Nagi would never suggest Ikuto taking a look into making Rima an official helper unless he was certain that Rima would pass the test. "I will meet with her. Wait for my call. Return."

Nagi bowed before leaving without a trace.

Still staring off into the distance, Ikuto called his second familiar. "Utau."

Appearing within seconds, the naked girl dropped to her knees. "Master!"

Sparing her only a short glance, Ikuto sighed. "I take it that things are not going smoothly for you."

"You have no idea the Hell I've been living in! Kukai is a beast! The wolf man bit me the first time I met him and has claimed me as his mate despite the fact that I can produce him no offspring. He keeps trying anyways! Claims that since he can magically turn from human to wolf and wolf to human for no reason then I can bear him a child! Please Master! Please don't send me back to him! You have finally freed me from that damn cave!"

Ikuto barely acknowledged Utau's cries. Her job was to figure out what was making the part wolf part man being change the way he did, not cry over him liking her. "Utau."

"Yes, Master."

"You must do your job."

Utau let out a cry before she disappeared.

Ikuto sighed before turning to where she had been kneeling. Utau was like a younger sister to him, but the cries hadn't sounded entirely real. He was more than certain that Utau was beginning to like the creature back. If that was the case then Ikuto supposed that he'd be meeting this beast in a few years' time as well. For now he needed to take care of the reason he returned to Asia. Someone was breaking the rules.

XXX

Nagihiko returned to the small house that he shared with Rima to find her humming as she cooked. Neither of them needed to eat, as Rima found out years before, so instead they made food for those who had none. Just one more of the many reasons that Nagi had fallen in love with the blonde witch.

Rima turned to see that Nagi was back and smiled. "Hello there. How did it go?"

Nagi returned the smile before moving to kiss the girl he loved. "Ikuto will be calling in a few years to test you. If you pass, we will be together forever. If you fail, he will kill you."

Nodding her head, Rima gave Nagi another kiss. "Then I will do my best to pass."

XXX

Crossing her arms, Utau stared defiantly at the beast before her. Kukai had gone into a rage the moment she smirked at him and simply disappeared. Now their cave was in a complete mess, and Utau was certain that Kukai was going to expect her to clean it up.

When he had first brought her there, the place had been crude and damp. Now it had rugs and a bed and a couch and lamps. Other items that one could find in a home were also present. Utau had forced Kukai to get some of the luxuries that they now had despite him putting up a fight about it at first. He even had clothes.

"Where were you?"

Smirking, Utau moved across the room to pick up a simple dress. Kukai didn't like her to wear much more than just that. "My master called and I cannot refuse."

Growling, Kukai stalked a little closer to the bed that Utau was now sitting on. "You are my mate! Not his!"

Rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, Utau felt as though they'd been through this a million times before, they had, and she felt like she was going to have to explain a thousand times more, she would. "I am not human. I am a familiar. I work for the Angel of Death, killing creatures and humans that are not following the rules of nature. You were living well beyond your years and showing signs of magic that you shouldn't. My master sent me to investigate. Besides carrying out his orders to take care of smaller jobs, my master has no need of me in any way."

Kukai crossed his arms as he stared down at the girl he claimed. "I will meet with him and I will decide if I shall fight him or not. Despite what you say, I must make it clear that you are mine."

Rolling her eyes once more, Utau felt like smacking herself. Kukai would probably never understand what she was trying to tell him. "If you fight with him, you will lose."

"I doubt that. I never lose."

"He is the Angel of Death. How is it that you cannot understand that?"

"I have done things before that should be impossible. I can do more in the future."

The look in his eyes told Utau that she was going to be one of those things. "I cannot bear you children. Why don't you search for another mate?"

Moving so that he was closer to the bed and so that Utau had no room to escape him, Kukai dominated her once more. "I want no other. I claimed you."

It was moments like these that Utau didn't know how to react. Part of her still wanted to resist like she had in the past, but Kukai was so forceful and kind at the same time. She could feel herself giving in to him. "Some things truly are impossible."

The sentence was almost whispered, but due to Kukai's excellent hearing abilities, he heard it clearly. "You will never know unless you try."

Having said that, Kukai pinned his mate to their bed and kissed her fiercely. After a second of hesitation, Utau kissed back while wrapping her arms around his neck.

XXX

The town had grown a lot since she had last been there. Over a hundred years before, her mother had asked her not to return to town since she wasn't aging and people were starting to talk. This was the first time that Amu had dared to return. Anything she had needed before she had on her farm. Food was grown. The cow was milked and the chickens were tended to. The pond nearby gave her fish and despite looking so young, Amu could fix and do just about anything.

Having sold things to the people living around her, Amu had money and plenty of it. Now she just wanted to go somewhere and see anything she could. This was the beginning of her journey. Not having an idea of what she was going to experience along the way only made her more eager to start it.

A journey that could only start once Amu picked a destination. Far away, Amu wanted to go far away. Too many memories were stored on that farm and she wanted to let them rest for a while. That being said, she pointed herself towards the coast and began walking. When she was tired she slept and when she was hungry she ate. Amu couldn't have asked for more than she had. Already life was looking great.

The moment the ocean came into view any doubt that Amu had about leaving Tree-san and her farm instantly disappeared. Life was going to be great for her.

Just as she dipped her toes into the water, Amu felt a sudden tug. Looking around and seeing that she was alone, Amu waited for the tug to happen again. It didn't so she played in the water more before walking along the coast in search of a town. Why stop there? Why not cross the ocean and go to the mainland and see what was happening there?

XXX

Miles away, sitting alone on the farm. Tree-san smiled to itself. It knew that Amu had felt its call and it also knew that when it wanted to, Amu would have no choice but to answer to it. She could go as far away as she pleased, but Tree-san would make sure that Amu always returned.

.

Morg: So this is one of the chapters that I was going to post for my birthday back in May but didn't have time to do. I'm planning on updating the other ones now that my hand is better so I hope you are looking forward to that!

Ikuto: I'll be looking forward to lemons.

Amu: I'll be looking forward to you ending your stories.

Morg: I'll be looking forward to the reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

Morg: Heyo! So I haven't said anything about this yet, but I got poison ivy while on vacation.

Ikuto: We don't care.

Amu: Well, some of them might but yeah, we don't.

Morg: You guys can shut it! As I was saying. I'm super itchy and writing is distracting me from scratching so you should thank the poison ivy for these chapters.

Ikuto: Thanks.

Amu: I should thank Peach Pit for not allowing you to own us too.

Morg: Whatever.

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

Leaves shifting in the breeze, the tree quivered in excitement. Amu had been gone for so long already. Longer than she ever had before, but Tree-san was greedy. It wanted the human for itself and there was no way it was going to let her go. The shifting of the seasons were the perfect opportunity to bring the girl back to it.

The tree flexed its roots in the ground before stretching out its branches just a little further. The connection was still extremely strong despite their separation for the first time. Something Amu was about to learn about. She could leave all she wanted, but Tree-san was always going to decide when she came back. If the pinkette attempted to refuse then all Tree-san had to do was push a little harder. Amu wouldn't be able to refuse. They were connected.

_The seasons are changing, Amu-chan. Though you don't need to come back to me yet, I want you. You are mine. It is time to remind you of that fact. Return to me._

Almost as if the wind was a sigh that the tree let out itself, a breath seemed to fill the empty space around the leaves before shooting off over the land. Depending on the amount of time it took for Amu to feel the pull and how far away she was, Tree-san would be seeing her rather soon.

_Come back to me, Amu-chan. You are mine._

XXX

The feeling had started right after she'd reached China. Suddenly Amu felt as though she should be back at her home. The feeling made no sense to Amu considering she wanted to be traveling. There was no want besides this feeling to be back at the house she'd grown up in.

The pull was strong though. Almost as if she'd forgotten something important but knew that whatever it was she forgot was going to bother her until she returned to figure it out.

Groaning, the pinkette slumped down onto the grass. "But I just got here."

Despite the fact that she was whimpering to herself, Amu couldn't push the feeling away. Something was telling her to return now. The need only grew as she sat there and attempted to ignore it.

Almost screaming in frustration, Amu scrambled to her feet and rushed back the way she'd come. If the only way to get rid of the feeling was to return then she was going to return and get rid of it.

The return trip took a lot less time than she'd taken to get to China. The reason being she wasn't site seeing on her way back to her house. The need to get there practically made it impossible for Amu to even sleep well while traveling. When she did find rest it was usually spent tossing and turning.

Raggedly, Amu forced herself to walk down her own path to her house. There stood Tree-san, not far from the building she wished to collapse in. For reasons that Amu did not understand, she walked right past her house to fall to her knees before the tree that saved her life. "T-Tree-san?"

_Amu-chan? Why have you come back already? Are you alright?_

Shifting so that she could rest her back against the trunk of her tree, Amu looked up into its beautiful branches and just sighed. Finally she felt as if she could rest properly. "I don't understand. I was enjoying myself and didn't want to come back, but I felt as if I had to."

So Amu didn't understand the connection. This worked perfectly for Tree-san. It wanted to be able to bring Amu back without Amu understanding that it was the one doing it.

_ It must be the changing of the seasons. This is when we usually do the ritual. You must have felt the need to come back because we must do the trade soon._

Wearily, Amu let out a deep breath. She could feel her consciousness fading away now that she was back. Sleep was definitely what the exhausted girl needed. Nothing but sleep. "I know that we trade blood four times a year, but I don't understand why it has to be that way. Why not just once or twice."

Fury shook through the tree, though it was certain that Amu wouldn't be able to feel it. There was no way that it was going to let Amu come back to it less often. The girl belonged to it and it to the girl.

_I did not make up the rules, Amu-chan. I only follow them. Same as you._

"I'm sorry, Tree-san. I know that you don't control these things any more than I do. I guess I'm just frustrated that I'll have to keep coming back here when I want to see more of the world."

Rustling its leaves as if it was rather put out with the girl sitting at its roots, the tree forced itself to remain calm.

_Please don't take your frustrations out of me, Amu-chan._

Feeling guilty that this was the way she'd greeted her longtime friend when she'd just arrived, Amu leaned back further against the tree. "I apologize, Tree-san. Let me rest for now and when I awake we can perform the bonding."

_Then you will leave me again?_

Sighing, Amu knew they'd probably be having this conversation again despite the amount of times they'd had it before. "I want to see the world, Tree-san. So yes, I will be leaving again. That does not mean that I'll leave every time though."

_Sleep for now, Amu-chan. We can discuss this again later._

Not having the strength to argue, Amu let herself drift off into the best sleep she'd gotten in almost a month.

Standing tall in the spot it would stand for all eternity if the tree got its way, Tree-san watched the pinkette sleeping at its base. The girl would never escape. One branch moved enough to let a leaf caress the soft skin of the girl's cheek. Moving was getting easier for the tree every time she and Amu bonded.

Awaking sometime during the night, Amu moved herself into her house and slept until the sun came up. Once there was enough light for her to properly see what she was doing, Amu took the knife she usually used for her and Tree-san's bonding ceremony. Not that there was really much of a ceremony to the event.

Just as she'd done four times a year all her life, Amu walked steadily towards her tree with the hilt of the small knife in her hands. The dress she wore made certain that her arms were bare. Something she had learned rather quickly. No sleeves meant no blood on her dress.

Tree-san was almost quivering in delight. Amu was about to give it some more of her blood. Something that Tree-san quite enjoyed. More so than it ever let Amu know.

With a calmness that would freak out any normal human, Amu first slid the knife into her tree to make the cuts for the sap to run out. Just enough for the liquid to shine in the sunlight. In one swift move, Amu had the knife pressed to the inside of her right forearm. The pain was barely felt as she dragged the tip towards her hand to create a blood flow. The same was done to her other arm before the first drops of blood had time to run out of the first cut she'd made on her right arm.

Tree-san forced itself to wait as Amu moved to mix sap with blood and blood with sap in both of her arms and both of the branches she'd cut on the tree. No words were meant to be said as Amu felt the power running through her and her tree while she followed the steps she knew by heart.

Usually she wound up feeling giddy and excited for a few days after the transaction. Something Tree-san said was due to the fact that she'd just bonded strongly with nature and needed time to settle back down to normal. This time, however, Amu didn't feel the same excitement. She felt almost disgusted with herself. As if she didn't need the tree anymore but was using it for her own means.

Amu said not a word about the feeling to her tree as she watched it wave its branches around in the air. The cuts in the tree were already gone along with the ones on Amu's arms. All the sap and blood that had been on her arms had been sucked into her body before the wounds had closed. That was something that had seriously freaked her out the first time it had happened, but now she knew it was coming and wasn't disturbed by the sight.

Still in its euphoric state, Tree-san looked down on the pinkette.

_ Will you celebrate again this time?_

Shaking her head, but smiling despite the feeling she had in the pit of her stomach, Amu rubbed her bare arm awkwardly. "Not this time. I still feel exhausted. I'm going to return to my house and rest now, Tree-san. Celebrate enough for the both of us."

Not thinking anything more about it, Tree-san waved its branches through the windless skies in celebration of another successful bonding ritual. Amu would live longer and Tree-san would live right along with her.

Dropping into the chair at her table, Amu let her head fall into her hands. She couldn't figure out why she felt so wrong, but it was a horrible feeling. She hadn't done anything different from the other times they'd done the same bonding ritual. Absolutely nothing was different. Except for the fact that Amu felt forced to return to make it. Maybe she didn't really need it four times a year.

This was a thought she was going to think more on later when she didn't feel as though she needed to sleep for a few years.

Heaving herself up from her chair, Amu moved once again to her bed to let sleep take her.

XXX

Ikuto could feel it. The pull alerting him to something disturbing the world's order. The pull that meant he had work to do. Unfortunately, he was already following a young man that stole the hearts of young maidens to keep himself alive. This new pull would have to be taken care of by one of his familiars. "Kairi."

"Master."

Never having to wait long when he called the green haired man, Ikuto barely glanced in Kairi's direction. "You will search out and discover the disturbance in Japan. Report to me the moment you have found anything."

Bowing, Kairi disappeared just after replying with a 'Yes master'. Being that his master was the Angel of Death and Kairi had worked for said Angel for hundreds of years, he knew that if his master was close to completing an assignment then he would call for one of the others. Utau and Nagihiko must have already been busy for Ikuto to not have called them. However, that didn't matter to the boy as he moved to do just as his master instructed.

.

Morg: I hope the Tree was evil enough for you!

Ikuto: Stupid tree.

Amu: I don't really like it.

Morg: Don't worry, you'll hate it more before the end.

Ikuto: Was that supposed to make us feel better?

Amu: Because it didn't.

Morg: You know I don't care about what you think.

Ikuto: Yes, yes. We get it. The readers are the ones that matter.

Amu: Whatever.


	7. Chapter 7

Morg: Heyo! So I recently discovered how epic Mirene really is.

Ikuto: Whatever.

Amu: Isn't she the one that helped with your mermaid story?

Morg: That she is! Now, my first love will always be Michelle, but Mirene is a close second! Probably because our names all start with M.

Ikuto: And I thought you couldn't possibly become any more lame.

Amu: One of the many reasons I thank the heavens you don't own us.

Morg: Yeah, that's the reason.

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

Ikuto wasn't sure why, but men where easier to dispose of than women. Maybe it was the way they practically flaunted what they were doing while women tended to hide everything. That could have been it. Not that it mattered to the man that was not a man watching the man stealing yet another soul from a beautiful young lady. The process was rather unique. Usually if a man was doing something along these lines then he'd seduce the girl and take what he wanted during sex. This man, however, played the innocent, clumsy role. He allowed for mistakes to happen around him, causing quite a few, so that any tender hearted young lady nearby would be pressed to help. He went after only the pure hearted. Another reason Ikuto had to kill him.

Despite being the Angel of Death, Ikuto cared for the humans of the Earth in his own special way. Certainly, he took their lives. But Life needed Death in order to keep the balance. New things could not be created if the old things did not give them space and room.

The rage that swelled within Ikuto was partly due to the fact that the man before him, the one acting the fool, was stealing innocence. The very thing he worked so hard to protect and allow to come to fruit was being stolen so that one man could live a few years beyond a normal life. Ikuto wouldn't allow it.

"Are you okay?"

Ikuto watched the young women, the next victim, help the clumsy man off the ground. He gave her a smile that dispelled any thoughts she had of turning away from him as he nodded his head.

"I am now."

The young woman giggled as the man she'd only just met stumbled to his feet in a way that said he was more unstable than stable while standing still.

"You are not from around here?"

The young man shook his head ferociously in a way that made his entire body move as well. The woman thought it was endearing.

"I am lost, actually. If you can believe that! I don't have a clue where I am. I was supposed to be traveling to the city from our small farm where my parents live, but I got lost along the way. Now I don't even know how to get back."

Ikuto listened as the young woman giggled again. His fist clenched as he was forced to watch her fall victim to the man playing with her emotions. Though he wanted to end the ruse, Ikuto couldn't stop what was happen quite yet. Sure he knew what the other man was after and how he lured the girls in, but Ikuto still hadn't found out where the man's item was.

They all had one, these people that Ikuto and his familiars hunted. There were few that didn't. Those were to be put in a separate category. They usually had no choice over the matter. Some of them had become Ikuto's familiars. Nagihiko and Utau were both examples of that. There had been others, however, that had seen too much of the world in their long days and asked for death instead. Ikuto had granted their wishes.

The man before him was one that definitely used some sort of personal item to preserve the life force he was stealing so that it could be used a little at a time to feed his youth. Ikuto simply had to find the item and destroy it so that he could kill the man.

There had been random things from flowers to jewelry. All had been easy to dispose of. All their owners were now dead. The man did not yet know that Death was stalking him. He would show his keepsake and then Ikuto would strike. The Angel always got his target.

"Would you like me to take you to the inn?"

Acting as though he would love to, but then let shame overcome him, the man smiled but then looked at the ground before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"I don't have any money to pay to stay somewhere. I'm certain that I can make do for the night someplace though."

Looking as though she couldn't handle the thought, the young girl shook her head before laying a hand gently on his arm. Ikuto seethed at the touch. Too easily, too easily this girl was falling for these tricks.

"No, don't do that. You can figure something out tomorrow. For tonight, allow me to put you up."

"I couldn't possibly impose in such a way."

"Please, it'll be no trouble at all."

Simply watching, Ikuto followed the newly made couple as the young lady led the way to her modest house amongst the others. Ikuto had to admit that times were changing. Humans were becoming more sophisticated with their dwellings. Unfortunately, this young lady lived on her own in her small home.

They laughed, the two humans. Ikuto stayed silently nearby. No one could see him anyhow as he stood outside the house to see the interactions. Soon the man would strike and then Ikuto would make his move. All he needed was that item.

Evening quickly came. The young lady moved to show her guest where he was to sleep. That's when Ikuto saw it. The glint of a coin around the man's neck. He'd pulled out the strap holding the object to his person as the girl had gotten up from the table.

Ikuto needed nothing else. He knew the moment he saw the coin that that was what the man used. The aura around the small item was daunting.

Within seconds the Angel had materialized within the small home. He had the man pinned against the wall. "Stealing what is not yours. Punishment awaits you."

The man let out a fierce cry as he attempted to get away. The young woman merely screamed before cowering against the far wall without understanding what was actually happening.

Ikuto knew that he had to act quickly. The human was strong. Not strong enough to overpower the Angel of Death himself, but still strong. He'd been stealing for a long time. Without hesitating, Ikuto drew his dagger from the air and pierced the blade straight through the man's coin and into his heart. "You will steal no more."

The coin exploded in a burst of colorful sparks as the magic within it burst forth. The man screamed as he felt his power leave his body. All too soon he was nothing more than a pile of ash on the floor. Something he should have been years before.

Turning to the young lady that had witnessed it all, Ikuto stared down at her. "You, do not be so trusting in the future. This man was deceiving you in order to steal the innocence and youth that you possess. Be more wary."

He almost made it out the door when she called out to him. "Wait! Why did you save me?"  
>Turning back once more, Ikuto knew that the young lady was attaching affections to him that would never do her any good. "I am the Angel of Death. Death escapes no one and no one escapes Death."<p>

With that he disappeared before her eyes.

XXX

Kairi had been on the trail that his master had sent him on for several days. The most he'd been able to figure out about the person he was following was that they were a girl. Besides that, everything remained a mystery to him. Despite his high intelligence, Kairi just couldn't follow the sporadic pattern of the other. She seemed to merely bounce from one place to the next without any sort of plan or route to follow. The girl lived as if she could go wherever she fancied.

The most disturbing part of it all, for Kairi, was the fact that she didn't leave any deaths in her wake. The people that he managed to speak to about her all seemed happier that they knew her. Some spoke of their hardships and how she seemed to be light in the dark for them.

Kairi never liked that sort of talk. Usually it meant that something big was going to happen. Like everything was being built up for a huge explosion. Most of the time this meant that a mass killing was about to take place. The familiar could not let that happen. His master had sent him to find the disturbance and Kairi was hot on her trail.

Unfortunately, that trail seemed to be backtracking. He was returning in the direction of a village that he knew she'd already been in once before. Then again, he was going to follow her everywhere until he finally found her. Most of the time it wasn't so difficult to catch up with the human causing the commotion. Nature seemed to bend away from them in a way that made it seem almost too easy to catch them. Not this time. This time Kairi had to work against nature. He had to find this girl even though she seemed to be protected. As if Life itself had spent extra care and time on her.

Despite that feeling, Kairi still had a job to do. If he was going to zigzag all around Japan in order to catch her then so be it. Ikuto had commanded and he would not fail.

XXX

Smiling down at the girl in his arms, Nagihiko rubbed his nose against Rima's. "You did well today."

The return smile was a bit weaker than the one she was receiving. "I wasn't too much of a burden, was I?"

"Not at all! I was worried that it would shock you a little too much but you handled it well."

Content, Rima snuggled down into Nagi's arms to rest her head against his chest. "That was my first time witnessing such a cruel exchange. I understand now why you hunt them."

Placing a kiss to the top of her blonde head, Nagihiko tightened his hold on his lover. Today had been the first time Rima had helped him with a lesser human that was stealing youth. The young witch hadn't been at it very long, which meant that she wasn't strong enough to call Ikuto's attention to her. This left Nagihiko in charge of removing her from the Earth. If Rima was to pass Ikuto's test then Nagihiko needed to make certain that she knew how to handle herself and be of some use to the Angel of Death or he would not accept her.

Luckily, Rima was only a little shocked. Not at how Nagihiko had killed the young girl, but by how the girl was maintaining her youth. To see such a shock in Rima's eyes only confirmed Nagihiko's belief that the girl he'd fallen for did nothing of the sort to remain young. She was most definitely one of the good ones.

XXX

Amu didn't look back. She just ran. As fast as she could and as far as she could without having to stop. The urge to return was too strong again. She had to go back. Nothing could stop her from going back. Despite the fact that she'd managed to get further from her home during this trip, Amu still felt frustrated that she was being called back. Tree-san told her that it was because they needed to bond, but Amu hadn't felt the same elation after their last ceremony as she had the times before. Something was off and Amu couldn't help but distrust her best friend for the first time in her life.

.

Morg: There you go, Mirene. I gave hints as to what is coming and I gave an insight into how Ikuto usually handles things. Important information!

Ikuto: If you say so.

Amu: I'm sure she does.

Morg: I do! But what my readers say is more important so please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Morg: Heyo! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I know that most of the world has their own days to celebrate this holiday, but we are celebrating it now.

Ikuto: Great.

Amu: So?

Morg: So I am going to update and post something that I am thankful for in every chapter that I update.

Ikuto: Fantastic!

Amu: That was so sarcastic that I could almost believe it.

Morg: Since I can't be thankful that I own the two of you, I'm going to be thankful for my parents! They are always here to help me whenever I need and most of the time when I don't. I don't know what I'd do without them!

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

He was closing in. Kairi could feel the girl he was chasing more and more every day. He would have had her already if she wasn't so sporadic with her movements. There never seemed to be any pattern with how she moved. Almost as if she were simply going wherever she felt like going. A life that the usually very orderly undead familiar did not understand. He did things in certain ways and those ways were usually the most efficient way to do whatever needed to be done. Flitting around most of Asia was not very efficient. Especially when the girl never seemed to have any sort of a pattern.

It didn't help that no one seemed to trust him if he ever asked about the girl that left everyone smiling. Like it was some sort of secret that they had promised to keep from him. Kairi still didn't know her name.

So far he hadn't been using much of his powers granted to him by Ikuto. There was usually no need for that, however, this time Kairi was using them here and there to allow for him to follow her trail more easily.

All of his hard work and dedication finally led him to a house on the outskirts of a forest. The house was small but he could see the fire glowing inside of it. Swiftly, the nonhuman man walked up the front walk and opened the door. Kairi was beyond courtesy at this point considering the chase she had led him on had lasted through several years.

"Yaya wants to welcome you!"

Slightly stunned, Kairi stood frozen in the doorway with his hand still upon the knob. A rather happy looking girl wearing her brown hair in pigtails stood in the middle of the room with her hands thrown up in the air. Almost as if she were welcoming him to a party just for him. "What?"

"Yaya knows that Kairi has been following Yaya! Yaya finally gets to meet Kairi! Yaya is happy to meet Kairi!"

Unable to react, Kairi remained in the doorway to the small house. It was clear to him now that this witch had been messing with him all along. She was purposely going random directions to make his following her difficult. "I don't understand what's happening. Why are you not running away?"

"Why should Yaya run from Kairi? Doesn't Kairi want to be friends?"

The girl looked truly confused now though she hadn't put her arms back down yet. Kairi was more than confused as well. "Do you know what I am?"

"Yaya thinks you are a good looking man!"

"I work for the Angel of Death. You have been avoiding Death for a long time now, Yaya. I have come to kill you."

Finally, Yaya dropped her arms back to her sides. "But Yaya isn't being bad. Yaya isn't doing anything to run away from Death-sama. Yaya is simply making others smile and living lots of life!"

Uncertain what to do now, Kairi took a few steps inside and shut the night out behind him. Her words were somewhat true. Yaya hadn't done anything wrong. No one had been killed for any unnatural reason during the time he'd been following her and she had even been waiting for him to catch up to her here. Any normal witch would never have done that. Either she was rather clever or extremely dimwitted. "I will be spending some time with you from now on, Yaya."

"Yaya doesn't mind though Yaya wants to know why."

"To see how you manage to keep your youth. I will be watching you and if I see you do anything to hurt any other humans I will not hesitate to kill you."

"Yaya has nothing to worry about then! Yaya is excited to be with Kairi now! Yaya has been rather lonely!"

Not at all liking the situation he was now in, Kairi wondered if Ikuto had somehow planned all of this. Though the Angel of Death wasn't one for making his familiars suffer, Kairi did have to admit that he wasn't doing anything to free Utau from the werewolf that had claimed her. Racking his brain as he sat down in the chair that Yaya offered him, Kairi tried to think if he had done anything to anger the Angel lately. His mind came up blank.

XXX

Years had passed. So many that Amu wasn't quite certain what the number was. There had been only a few times that she had left her small home in that time period. Never really going far from home. The pull she received twice a year was always enough to make her regret leaving anyhow.

This time, however, this time she was going to leave and she wasn't coming back until she was ready. Standing out beneath her tree, Amu placed her hand against the rough bark of its trunk. "I'll be back, Tree-san. Please try and keep the urge at bay the best you can while I'm gone. I promise to return but not for a while. Returning here four times a year keeps me too trapped with my travels. I will return only twice. I know I am asking a lot of you, but please, keep the urge the best you can."

Angered that the human still didn't understand that she belonged to it, Tree-san slightly shivered under Amu's light touches. _I will try, Amu-chan. I will do what I can._

Nodding her head in satisfaction, Amu turned to leave. Over the years she had acquired a young horse, one that had gotten older but was still able to carry her. She mounted before turning back to her tree one last time. "Remember, I will return in half a year's time!"

Still angered, Tree-san let its branches blow in the breeze as if it was waving goodbye. Amu could try to last that long though Tree-san wasn't going to let her do it peacefully.

Riding as fast as her horse could take her, Amu traveled as far as she could until she felt as though she was no longer suffocating. During the years, the feeling had steadily grown stronger that she was doing something that should not be done with every time she and Tree-san bonded. Now she just felt the need to get away.

Still unsure if she should try to go further, Amu headed for the largest city in Japan. There was always something to do there and if the urge came on too strong she could return easily.

Making her way into the bustling city a few days after leaving her home, Amu was fascinated to see all the changes that were taking place around her. Being alive for as long as she had definitely allowed her to watch as society progressed. Foreigners were visiting their island now. Wars had raged and died while people fought for control of the government. Candles were being replaced by lamps and oils. Women wore much fancier clothing.

During her time on her small farm, Amu managed to make money from her neighbors around her. Having nothing to ever spend it on, she was rather rich. Rich enough that she could afford to sleep in one of the best taverns in the area.

Checking in for the night, Amu made certain that someone would take care of her horse. The following day she would have to do a little shopping so that she could catch up with the fashion of the other ladies around her.

Just as she was about to head up the stairs, Amu bumped into someone. "I'm sorry, sir."

Pink eyes met golden ones. "No, it is I who should be apologizing. May I know your name?"

Blushing slightly, Amu held her hand out for the gentleman to take. "Hinamori Amu."

"Pleasure to meet you, Hinamori-chan. I am Hotori Tadase."

"Please, call me Amu."

"Then do me the favor of calling me Tadase."

.

Morg: Don't hate me for this!

Ikuto: What is Tadase doing in this story?

Amu: Tadase?! Tadase? Tadase!

Morg: He isn't going to be the usual bad guy since I have the tree for that, but yeah.

Ikuto: What do you mean 'but yeah'?

Amu: We're going to fall in love!

Morg: You'll find out later!


	9. Chapter 9

Morg: Heyo! So, we seem to be having some problems with this story.

Ikuto: That's because you brought that idiot into it.

Amu: Tadase isn't an idiot!

Morg: Yes he is. And THERE NEEDS BE TRUST HERE! Come on guys! Would I ever write real Tadamu?! NO!

Ikuto: No way in hell.

Amu: I wouldn't mind it.

Morg: Shut up, Amu. Tadase is a character that is needed to help Amu grow up a little more. If she doesn't meet him then her meeting with Ikuto won't happen the way I want it to. Yes, you'll have to suffer through a few short chapters of Tadase and Amu being friends and quite possibly hinting at more than that, but there is a reason for it! So trust me!

Ikuto: I see that I have no choice.

Amu: Eh, we don't have to. She doesn't own us.

Morg: True but this story is Amuto! AMUTO!

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

Shopping was always something that Amu did but never quite enjoyed. However, this time was different. This time she wasn't alone as she went into a few stores to find the things she needed to better blend into the time she was living in. The man she'd met the evening before had asked if she had anyone to go with her and when Amu said she did not, he'd asked if he could. She'd blushed at the offer but accepted nonetheless. In all her decades of life, Amu had never let another human close to her. It wasn't worth the pain, besides, she had Tree-san.

"I think that one looks very good on you."

The compliments were something else Amu was attempting to deal with. Sure, she knew that she was rather good looking, but having never had someone else to tell her so made her turn red rather quickly. Eventually she'd just given up on attempting to hide her blushes. "You think so?"

Smiling, Tadase nodded his head as he motioned for the owner of the shop to come forward. "She'll be taking this dress. Is it all right if she wears it out?"

Before Amu could protest, the shop owner agreed.

Tadase beamed at the older woman as he followed her over to the counter. "Excellent! Please have the other items sent to this hotel. They'll deliver them to Amu's room for her. Thank you for your help."

After that, Amu was whisked quickly from the shop to continue looking for whatever else her heart desired. In the past, the pinkette wouldn't bother with creating an entirely new wardrobe considering she wouldn't stay in one place too long anyhow. Now it didn't seem like she had much of a choice. Tadase seemed bent on making certain that she had more than enough.

"Amu-chan, would you like to eat lunch with me at my home this afternoon?"

Shocked at such an invitation, Amu agreed. "You live in the city? I thought since you were at the hotel last night that you were traveling like I am."

Smiling, Tadase shook his head. "No, I was visiting the hotel for a business meeting. I suppose I haven't asked you yet, but are you just traveling through?"

Allowing for Tadase to take her arm and lead her through the streets towards where she was certain his house sat, Amu smiled as their conversation continued. "I haven't decided yet. My small country home is a few days ride from here. I simply felt the need for a visit to the city for a few days."

"You should buy a house here in the city."

"What?"

"I mean, if you are visiting and you live a few days out then it makes sense for you to also have a house here for when you visit."

Amu had never thought of it that way. Whenever she traveled she would simply stay in hotels. Granted, she usually didn't stay in one place very long. Her want to see more was always countered by the urges she felt to go home, which prevented her from lingering in any one place for too long. Tadase suggestion, though, actually made sense. "I have never thought of that."

Smiling a huge smile once again, Tadase was pleased with himself as he led his companion up the front steps of his rather impressive house. "I think you would enjoy living in the city."

Amu agreed though she said nothing out loud. Having a second place that she could call home sounded rather appealing. If this worked out, she could have more than just one other house. Besides, her cottage was getting much too small to hold all of the items she'd accumulated over her many years. "Maybe tomorrow I could start looking and see if anything catches my eyes."

Tadase made an approving sound as he led her into his dining room where the table was already set for a meal. Though the servants hadn't been expecting Amu they had been expecting their master. Without much effort, another set of eatery was brought out for the guest.

Halfway through their meal, Amu decided to break the silence and speak once more to the man she'd met the night before. "So Tadase-kun, what do you do?"

Wiping his mouth with his napkin before he answered, Tadase shrugged like his lifestyle wasn't anything important. "My older brother, Kiseki, owns the company that our father started. We managed hotels, which is part of the reason I was at one last night for my meeting. I'm involved enough to make money to live off of while my brother holds all the real power."

Amu liked how modest Tadase seemed to be while talking about himself. He was definitely different than a lot of other men she'd spoken to over the years. Those men had taught her how to better defend herself, however, so she didn't dislike them either. "Am I staying at one of your hotels?"

Returning the smile he received, Tadase shook his head. "No, that hotel isn't ours yet but I've been working on the negotiations for us to obtain it. The owner is being difficult but it won't be long now."

"Then you should know a lot about housing as well? Would be able to help me tomorrow while I search for a home?"

Amu caught the small smirk that flashed across Tadase's face. It was almost as if he'd been hoping that she'd ask him for help.

"I would love to."

XXX

The house that Tadase managed to help her find was absolutely perfect for Amu. Granted, the man thought she needed something a little bigger with more servants and fancy things, but Amu was happy with the medium sized home she found. It would hold the new things she bought and wasn't so big that she was reminded that she would be living through eternity alone.

Tadase was even helpful enough to help her move her things into her house. The man was one she was quickly beginning to enjoy being around. He didn't even question her when she told him that she needed to go home for a week about six months after she met him.

Tree-san, on the other hand, was not as excited about this Tadase-kun as Amu was. _I don't understand why you need to make friends with him, Amu-chan. He could find out about your secret._

There were risks, yes, but Amu was willing to face them if it meant getting to spend more time with Tadase. She couldn't quite describe why she liked the man so much. It was just that she did. "I know that, Tree-san, but Tadase-kun is my friend now so there is no going back. Besides, I like having someone human I can spend time with. I'm sure he'd understand if I explained things to him."

_No! You must never tell another human about our bond! I let you tell your parents and your sister but that was in order to save your life and keep us bonded! You must not, Amu! Please!_

Hearing the desperation in her tree's voice, Amu sighed. "All right, fine. I won't tell him. I won't give him up either, Tree-san. I enjoy being with Tadase so I will be."

Tree-san watched as Amu returned to her small cottage. Their bonding would take place the following day. Something Tree-san looked forward to more than usual. _You can go spend time with him now, Amu-chan, but you will be with me for eternity._

XXX

Kukai could not explain it anymore. The fury he felt. The anger that coursed through him whenever Utau suddenly disappeared from their small home. He understood, yes, that she worked for the Angel of Death. She had promised him over and over again that her relationship with that man was nothing more than master and servant. Still, he was beyond pissed to know that she could be taken from him at any moment. This was something that he did not like.

It was during one of those times when she was gone, he never knew how long her disappearance would last. Sometimes it was no more than five minutes and other times it was several days. Kukai had grown tired of it, which is why he did what he did. Leaving their cave behind, the man shifted to his wolf form to move far away from it. Once he was in a clear spot, Kukai shifted back. "I know that you can hear me! I know that you will come! I want to speak with you!"

Smirking slightly, Ikuto allowed for himself to appear before the half man half wolf being. "How courageous of you to call for me. Not many will invite Death."

Grinning, Kukai kept his eyes firm as he took in the other male. "You are Ikuto? You are Utau's master?"

"Yes."

"She is mine. Release her from your service."

Frowning slightly, mostly because this idiot was trying to tell him what to do, Ikuto shook his head. "No, I don't think so. If I did that then I'd lose one of my best hunters. Besides that, she would die. Do you want that, pup?"

Kukai's smile vanished. "What do you mean she would die?"

"Utau's life is now bound to mine. If I release her, she will no longer have a reason to live."

"I am her reason to live."

"No matter how much she likes you that means nothing."

"What do you mean?"

"Utau has been protecting you from me from years. She's been reporting that you're simply too stupid to die. There seems to be no alternative source to your longevity so I've done nothing to end your life. She doesn't wish for me to do so and I won't."

Kukai seemed to have to slow down for a moment. This Angel, this Ikuto was telling him that his mate had been protecting him all the while. He had been so harsh with her every time she disappeared and came back and yet he hadn't stopped to think that she was going so that Ikuto wouldn't come to them. So that Ikuto would have no reason to kill him. "So you are allowing for me to keep her?"

Laughing, Ikuto couldn't believe how right Utau had been when she'd described this wolf as an idiot. "No, I'm allowing for her to keep you."

Kukai grimaced a bit but before he could respond, Ikuto was gone. Frustrated still, Kukai slowly shifted back and returned to their cave. Utau was there when he arrived.

"Where have you been? Don't tell me you tried to find me again."

Staring at her for a moment, Kukai crossed the space between them to pull her into a hug. "I'm sorry."

Surprised, Utau pushed back a little to look into her wolfish lover's eyes. "For what?"

"I met Ikuto."

"What!?"

"He told me that you've been protecting me. That since you want to keep me, he will not kill me for now. I had no idea, Utau."

Still stunned that this idiot met with Ikuto and came out of the situation alive, Utau's grasp tightened a little on Kukai's naked back. "You idiot! Don't you ever, and I mean _ever_, meet with him again without me there! Do you know what could have happened!?"

Wincing, Kukai nodded his head while he held her. Shock coursed through him as he realized that Utau was actually crying against his naked chest. "Utau, I promise you that I won't leave you."

"You idiot! I won't let go anywhere anyhow!"

Not being able to help himself, Kukai grinned as he held his lover.

.

Morg: So there's a reason for me going through every couple! Like I said above, have faith in me as an author!

Ikuto: I'd rather not.

Amu: She's doing just fine.

Morg: Oh yes, happy birthday PrincessOfDarkness3. I hope you enjoyed your day!

Ikuto: She probably would have enjoyed it more if you had updated on time.

Amu: Most likely.

Morg: Whatever, you two! I was at my grandma's! I'm certain she'll understand!


	10. Chapter 10

Morg: Heyo! So yeah, Tadase actually doesn't suck in this story.

Ikuto: I don't like where you're going with this.

Amu: Just let her finish.

Morg: I know I'm usually sort of mean to him so I'm being nice.

Ikuto: I really don't like where this is going.

Amu: Shut up!

Morg: I mean, I don't own anything so it isn't like making him the bad guy was too bad, right?

Ikuto: That Kiddy King deserves all of it for thinking he could like my Amu-koi.

Amu: You're both stupid. Tadase is an all right guy.

Morg: I'm going to pretend that I somewhat agree with you.

Ikuto: I'm not.

Amu: Jerks.

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

Pulling the blade across her skin, Amu watched as blood bubbled out. The knife they used the first time to complete their bonding was the knife she used every time. With the cuts into Tree-san's bark already made, all Amu had to do was press her bleeding arms to the leaking sap. Mixing their blood would allow for bond to strengthen and continue to keep them alive.

Hesitating, Amu tried to remember why it was so important for her to make the bond. Yes, she was being pulled to do it. The feeling within her simply screamed for her to connect them, but still, Amu didn't do it.

_Amu-chan, make the connection._

Staring at the blood running down her arms, Amu thought of Tadase. Linking her to the tree further would only create a bigger rift between herself and the friend she'd made. The bond wouldn't allow her to age. After a while, she'd have to begin avoiding the younger man anyhow.

Tree-san watched as Amu struggled with her mind. _Amu-chan, make the bond then go back and see if he is worth it._

Coming out of her silent battle, Amu pushed her arms against her tree and sobbed as the familiar tingling sensation swept through her. The pain of prolonging their bonding was washed away as she made certain that the sap was entering her cuts. Relief never felt so good.

Panting, Amu collapsed at the base of her tree while her arms automatically healed themselves now that she was reunited with Tree-san. "I'm sorry."

Knowing that its human was feeling rather fragile at the moment, Tree-san dropped one of its branches to brush leaves against Amu's cheek. _We're still bonded and everything is all right now. You have nothing to worry about, which is why you should get some rest. I'll watch over you while you sleep._

Nodding her tired head, Amu dozed off in the warm afternoon heat. The bonding had happened. Amu felt relief, however, that feeling of completing the bond couldn't block out the feeling of something being wrong within her heart. Amu couldn't figure it out and it left her sleep restless.

XXX

For weeks he stayed with her and for weeks he discovered nothing but a want of life and childish behaviors. Yaya was truly confounding. The girl was sporadic. She was energetic. She was refreshing. Kairi couldn't understand it, but she made him smile. Of course, it was a hidden smile. Deep, deep down within himself, he smiled. If Yaya ever saw that then he'd never hear the end of it. It was safer hiding his joy.

Which was part of the confusion. Why was he feeling this way? His job, as the Angel of Death's familiar, was to track down lesser spirits that were avoiding death and kill them. There were always signs of the evil ones. People that lived past the normal age limit, which Kairi had to admit was getting longer. People dying without just cause, many people dying in one area was usually written off by others as some sort of plague, though Kairi knew better. These things equaled some form of witchcraft that was used through a pendent or something similar. Kairi had seen all sorts of things from flowers to pieces of cloths. The fools were becoming more and more devious, though Kairi wasn't stupid and wouldn't be tricked.

Which was another reason why he couldn't figure out why Yaya wasn't aging. She was doing things backwards. She did live past her normal age limit, however, there weren't people just dying around her for no reason. In fact, Yaya helped more than she hurt. Usually it was young people, though he'd seen her heal some older, that were dying of weird diseases or injuries. Yaya would be called and she'd go without hesitation and make the children laugh and play before giving them a hug and a kiss on the forehead and telling them to be well. Then they went ahead and got well. Kairi was dumfounded.

Still, he watched her like a hawk. Yaya was never out of his eyesight. Sometimes things got a little personal as he would not let her have any private time, but Yaya didn't seem to be shy. In fact, she teased him. Several times, Kairi had to pointedly refuse to join her bath or occasional midnight swims. He didn't trust himself to do more than watch.

At the moment, thankfully, he didn't have to do anything more than sit in a stationary chair while Yaya rocked in her rocking chair and hummed while knitting hats and scarves for the kids in the area since winter was approaching. He sort of liked nights like this where her energy could be contained to easy doings. Of course, the mood wasn't meant to last.

A frantic knock pulled Yaya out of her knitting world and put a frown on her face that Kairi didn't like to see. The girl stopped her movements to look intensely at the door.

"Yaya wants to know who it is."

"Please Yaya! My little boy. My only little boy. Please help him!"

With the pleading reaching her ears, Yaya was quick to act. Her knitting supplies were carefully placed on her chair for whenever she got back to them before she ran for the door. "Show Yaya the way. Yaya will help."

As always, Kairi followed silently behind. Tonight could be the night that he finally found the truth behind Yaya's abilities.

The house they arrived at was small, not that they were surprised, all the houses in the area were rather small. Still, the small home felt welcoming as they entered inside. There was no obvious sense of death hanging just over the door, proclaiming to all that even just walk by that there was a sick person hiding within.

Ushered into the only bedroom, Yaya smiled upon seeing the small child in the bed. His eyes were barely open and he coughed several times before she ever had the chance to speak, but Yaya thought that he was beautiful. "Yaya came to play. Will you play with Yaya?"

Struggling to open his eyes, the little boy nodded slowly. He coughed again as Yaya took his hand.

"Yaya knows some easy games to start with."

Kairi leaned back against the wooden framed door as he watched Yaya play some easy hand games with the child. They were simple at first, becoming more and more complex as the child seemed to wake up from his daze. She never asked for his name and it was never given, though Kairi was certain that Yaya seemed to know the little boy better without it.

Giggling, the child tried to free himself from Yaya's tickling fingers. He ended up coughing due to his exertion, but nothing like he'd been before Yaya started her games. He yawned once and then twice before snuggling up to the older girl. "I'm sleepy, Yaya."

"Yaya will rock you to sleep then!"

The little boy smiled more as she did just that.

Kairi remained unmoving as he watched the girl he'd been watching for a while rock the little boy in her cradled arms and hum an unknown tune until he fell asleep. Kairi was expecting her to just place him back on the bed, but like always, Yaya gave the boy a hug before planting a kiss on the top of his head.

"Yaya wants for you to get better."

Those words. They were so simple, and yet, they seemed to have amazing results. Before the boy was even returned to the bed, his breathing sounded better and his sleep looked deeper. Kairi, no matter how many times he'd witnessed something similar, still couldn't quite believe it.

They left the house after accepting nothing more than thanks and praise from the child's mother and returned to the home that Yaya was currently using. Kairi remained quiet on the way even though hundreds of questions were running through his mind.

It wasn't until they were settled once more in Yaya's living room and she'd picked up where she'd left off with her knitting that he even dared to voice one. "Yaya, where did you learn to do that?"

Rocking a few more times, Yaya sighed. Without stopping her knitting, she looked over at the man that wouldn't leave her alone. Granted, Yaya quite liked his company, even if he could be a bit grouchy sometimes. "Yaya had a brother once. Yaya didn't like him at first because Yaya liked being the only child. Yaya's parents paid a lot more attention to her before her little brother came. At first, Yaya hated him. Yaya refused to play with her stinky younger brother and couldn't be bothered. Yaya despised him."

Kairi couldn't help but feel a bit shocked to hear such a confession from a girl that usually was nothing but unicorns and rainbows. Not that unicorns were real, though that was beside the point. "You said 'at first'. Did that change?"

"Yaya's brother got sick. Babies get sick a lot and most don't live. Yaya wanted her brother to die. Yaya wanted to be the only child again. Then Yaya saw how sad her parents were. Yaya didn't want them to be sad. So Yaya played with her younger brother. Yaya did it to make them happy. They would smile at Yaya and tell Yaya that she did a good job. Yaya liked that. Yaya also liked the way her younger brother giggled and smiled. Soon enough, Yaya wasn't playing with him to make her parents happy. Yaya wanted him to be happy. Still, he got sick. No matter what Yaya did, he got sicker and sicker. One day, Yaya couldn't help it. Yaya cried. Yaya hugged her little brother tight and cried. Yaya cried until she had no tears left. With a big hug and a kiss on the head, Yaya told her little brother to get better."

Waiting on the edge of his seat-not literally-Kairi all but held his breath. "Did he?"

Smiling a sad smile, Yaya shook her head. "Yaya's little brother didn't get better. He lived for a few more years, but not long enough. Yaya promised to help other little children be healthy and happy, and Yaya hasn't broken her promise."

Kairi didn't know if it was possible. This was something that he desperately needed to speak to Ikuto about, but it could be the source behind Yaya's abilities. A younger brother that didn't live to be very old, but was cared for and loved unconditionally, could have graced his older sister with the power to stay young and help others like she wanted to help him. For the first time since he met her, Kairi started to think that Yaya was one of the good ones. They were few and far between, though they existed. Kairi was proof of that. Ikuto had kept him after learning that there was no hidden object behind his original powers.

Knowing that he'd have to wait to speak to his master until he was called upon, Kairi leaned back in his chair. He studied the girl before him harder than he ever had before, but found no trace of lying in her story. "So Yaya likes helping children the most."

Smiling as she looked up from her knitting, Yaya shrugged a bit. "Yaya likes helping the most."

"You didn't ask for the child's name earlier, why is that?"

This time a slight frown graced her lips. "Yaya cannot remember Yaya's little brother's name anymore. Yaya doesn't want to meet more children to only forget their names, so Yaya just remembers their smiling faces instead."

And yes, Kairi felt as if he'd never met someone so pure.

.

Morg: There you go. Yaya's history revealed! Was it spectacular? Did you love it?

Ikuto: There wasn't much about me in there.

Amu: Not everything is about you.

Morg: Little by little, you will learn about everyone! We know Kukai's past-not a whole lot but somewhat-and you'll learn even more when he and Utau actually sit down and talk.

Ikuto: Still doesn't seem like there's much about me.

Amu: You are too much.

Morg: Please look forward to it!


	11. Chapter 11

Morg: Heyo! Everyone understands that this story is happening over a LOT of years, right?

Ikuto: I would assume so.

Amu: Probably not.

Morg: Please understand that it starts when things weren't easy and it is slowly coming through the years. Right now would be like when Japan is still having very little dealings with anyone outside their country, although Amu isn't restricted by this. She's been traveling outside of Japan for a long time. She's seen a lot of the world.

Ikuto: One could say that she gets around.

Amu: Funny you say that, Ikuto. Since you wouldn't know.

Morg: Oh snap! He would if I owned you though.

Ikuto: It's only a matter of time, Amu. Before you're mine.

Amu: Keep dreaming.

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

"Are you nervous? You shouldn't be nervous. Everything is going to be fine. You'll do just fine."

Rima lifted an eyebrow without looking at the purple haired boy squeezing her hand. Out of the two of them she was rather certain that Nagihiko was the nervous one. Then again, today was the day she proved to Ikuto that she wasn't doing anything to steal youth from others and that she was willing to work for him. One did not meet the Angel of Death every day. "I'm fine. Are you okay?"

Smiling a bit, Nagihiko only held the hand in his tighter before nodding. "Yeah, I suppose I will be. I just… It's not like I don't trust you. I know you aren't doing anything wrong, but that doesn't mean that Ikuto will accept you."

Rima knew. The blonde understood completely that either she was to accepted or killed. Nagihiko had almost called off the meeting because he was so nervous, but Rima wouldn't allow that. If she wanted to continue to be with the Angel of Death's familiar then she had to become one herself and putting off the meeting wouldn't get her any closer to what she wanted. "It'll be fine. He's got no reason to reject me. I've been helping you out recently anyways."

Nagi still couldn't help but swallow down some of his nervousness. The lump in his throat hardly went away. "He's here."

Looking around the small field they stood in, Rima didn't see anyone. However, she knew better than to think that Nagihiko was mistaken. If he said that Ikuto was there then Ikuto was probably there. "Where?"

Instead of answering, Nagihiko bent forwards so that he was at a ninety degree bow. He was pleased when Rima caught on quickly and matched his movements. The two stood in their bowed positions waiting for Ikuto to reveal himself.

Being that he'd been there for a while just observing the two while they waited for him, Ikuto already knew what he was going to choose. However, where was the fun if he couldn't tease those that worked for him? "Nagihiko. Rima."

The two stood at the sound of their names. "Ikuto."

Not knowing whether to be surprised or not that Death could be so beautiful, Rima gave one more short bow. "Nice to meet you."

Ikuto remained silent as the two stood hand in hand with slightly worried expressions playing around on their features. He had to give them credit for attempting to remain calm. "So this is the witch that has been helping you out lately."  
>It wasn't a question. Nagi chose to answer anyways. "This is Rima, and yes, she's been helping me."<p>

Holding back his smirk, Ikuto began walking around the other. It was rather clear to him already-partly because he'd been spying on the two without them knowing for a while-that Rima wasn't actually a witch. She wasn't doing anything wrong. He knew this. Still, he liked to make them squirm a little more. He was still Death and could end her life even if she wasn't prolonging it through devious means. "Kind of short."

Mostly because the Angel wouldn't see it, Rima rolled her eyes. Her height was something she constantly was reminded of. If he had been anyone else, Rima would have put Ikuto in his place. He wasn't so she didn't.

The urge to smirk becoming stronger, Ikuto stopped in front of the two before directing his attention to his familiar. "Her hair rivals yours in length. Didn't think I'd find anyone like that besides Utau."

Squeezing the hand in his once more, Nagihiko gave his master a small smile. "She takes good care of it."

Nodding, Ikuto decided to let the two off the hook. The fear radiating out of them the longer he prolonged his announcement was becoming almost unbearable. Ikuto really didn't find it pleasant. "Okay then."

Rima was almost too shocked to call out as the Angel of Death turned to leave. "Is that it?"

Turning back slowly, Ikuto sent a small smirk to the pair. "Did you want there to be something more? What else is there for me to do? You're helping Nagihiko with his job. If you wish it, you can become one of my familiars and work alongside him."

Nodding, Rima knew that was exactly what she wanted. "How do I do that?"

"Do you love him?"

"Yes."

"Are you stealing youth or energy?"

"No."

"Then you've already done everything you need to do. Be loyal to Nagihiko and you will be loyal to me. Do anything to ever break my laws and I will not hesitate to kill you."

With that, Ikuto was gone and Rima felt her muscles releasing tension she hadn't known was built up there.

Running a hand through his long purple hair, Nagihiko let out a sigh. "I feel like we just got married."

Rima laughed as she was pulled into a tight hug. "Then maybe we should go celebrate our union."

Smirking, Nagihiko pulled the girl he loved in for a kiss while making them disappear from the field they were in.

XXX

The ceremony was over for at least another six months, and yet, Amu traveled with a heavy heart as she left her small farm. Granted, the place could have been much larger if she let it be, but Amu wanted to keep the house small and the place little even if she did own much of the land. She rented it out though, to other farmers in the area that needed land but had none. It was a rather steady income.

Her strength was renewed and the urge to complete the bond was gone, but Amu couldn't rest easy as she made her way back to the city where Tadase and her new house waited. Being connected to Tree-san for as long as she had made Amu a bit confused. This wasn't her first ceremony by far, and yet, she was so uncomfortable. Amu felt as though she'd betrayed a great friend. The only friends she had were her tree and Tadase. There was no way she'd betrayed either of them.

That's when Amu stopped in the middle of a stride. Her foot slowly lowered to the ground as her eyes widened. In order to continue living, Amu was going to have to choose one of the two. She couldn't continue to be with Tadase if she wasn't going to age, and she couldn't be with Tree-san if she wanted to live a normal life with Tadase.

Tree-san had always been there for Amu through everything. Losing her family and various other smaller heartbreaks throughout the years, Tree-san had been there for it all. Her tree was her strength and her best friend. It always listened to her and it gave her a place to return to. The tree was her home. Her only family now. Her life.

But Tadase made her happy. The boy was a bit weird and was always striving to have more than he did, but found his ambitious side cute. When the boy started ranting about business, Amu couldn't help but just smile at him. For being alive as long as she had been, Amu knew a thing or two about business. Not that she was about to share that with her new friend. Girls weren't supposed to be involved in those sorts of matters.

Amu couldn't just choose. Each of them had something that made her like them all the more. Her life definitely wasn't fair, but then again, Amu didn't have to pick right then and there. Tree-san had advised her to go back to the city and spend more time with Tadase-kun to see what the boy was really like. If Amu chose him then she was rather certain that Tree-san would let her go. Amu hoped her tree would let her go.

XXX

Looking up from his desk, Tadase smiled at the pinkette as she came through the door. "Amu-chan! How did your trip home go? Everything in order?"

Waving her hand to brush off the other's concern, Amu took a seat while smiling. "Of course everything's fine. I just needed to go back and chase out some spiders that wanted to take up residence in my house. I'll visit again in about six months for some more upkeep."

Placing the papers he'd been reading down, Tadase smiled at his friend. "You could sell the place and just move into town permanently. I know that some people like to keep houses out of the city, though I find that more to be a Western thing than something we do here."

Laughing, Amu once again waved off the boy's concern. "I could never sell my little farm. It's been in my family for a very, very long time. And I don't keep it because I enjoy living a Western lifestyle. Foreigners are becoming more and more common here though."

"Good for business but not necessarily for people."

Amu couldn't agree completely with that statement. Being that she traveled much of the world, she knew a lot of people from outside of Japan. Some weren't so great, but most were more decent than some of the people she'd met just down the road from her house. "I suppose."

Smiling at the girl, Tadase knew that Amu wasn't going to say anything else on the matter. Sometimes he got the impression that she knew more than she was willing to say, but that just made her all the more interesting to the businessman. "Enough of this. Let's go celebrate your safe return with good food and better company."

Allowing herself to be pulled from the room, Amu couldn't refuse when Tadase wanted to take her out. Their trips to small restaurants and inns made her feel special that she was the one with Tadase and that other's weren't. Just another reason she wanted to pick him over Tree-san. If she could even choose.

Tadase, noticing Amu's quieter than usual mood, did his best to cheer the girl he found fascinating up. Amu was the prettiest when she smiled.

XXX

Sitting on top of a rather large hill somewhere in the world, Ikuto hardly kept track of where he was, the Angel of Death could feel it. The power had been building for a long time, though he had yet to pinpoint where it was coming from. It was always there, and he kept track of it as he took care of various people and living creatures attempting to escape his notice. Maybe it was time for him to truly start tracking it. If he could feel it even from where he was sitting then perhaps it was time to eliminate it.

Like a pestering fly, Ikuto planned to squash this power source.

.

Morg: Oh snap!

Ikuto: I'm not in charge for nothing.

Amu: Tadase and I are such good friends!

Morg: Right…

Ikuto: Gross…

Amu: Shut it! We're friends!

Morg: Yeah… that won't be for too much longer.

Ikuto: I hope not.

Amu: Whatever!


	12. Chapter 12

Morg: Heyo! I have a feeling that a lot of you are going to be disappointed after this chapter.

Ikuto: Do I want to know why?

Amu: She doesn't have to tell you. You're going to find out anyways.

Morg: True that!

Ikuto: It isn't like I actually read this crap.

Amu: I don't either.

Morg: Hey!

Ikuto: You don't own us, Morg.

Amu: We don't have to do anything!

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

Amu couldn't help but laugh at the story that Tadase was sharing with her. The past few weeks had been rather tough on the pinkette after her return from her home. Things had been slightly awkward for the ageless girl as Tadase continued to take her out places. It wasn't the man she spent so much time with making things weird for her. No, Amu did that to herself. Whenever she felt just a little more certain that she'd rather age and die with Tadase, flashes of her tree invaded her mind. Could she really leave Tree-san?

In the midst of those thoughts, Amu shook herself free of them. Tadase hadn't made an offer and Amu wasn't stupid enough to assume that their friendship was anything more than just that. Aside from urging her to just move permanently into town, the male didn't say much about Amu's lifestyle. There was no reason for her to choose right then and there. Though, Amu did know, deep in the back of her mind, that she would pick Tadase.

Those awkward weeks turned into delightful months as they ate out together almost every night. Their suppers usually happened because Tadase had invited Amu over for the afternoon to chat and discuss some business ideas. The blond found that he quite liked Amu's input, when he could get her to say anything on whatever matter he brought up. Slowly, yet surely, the two became even closer. To the point where outsiders wouldn't try to impose. Girls stopped inviting Tadase to their tea parties and fancy dinners because the man simply wouldn't go without Amu. Amu wasn't really invited anywhere in the first place so things didn't change as much for her. Still, no one approached her because it was common knowledge that she and Tadase would be together.

The pinkette didn't know what to think about the gossip that she sometimes heard about herself. People could spread the meanest things when they were left alone to make up facts out of jealousy. The girl had heard everything from, she was in a one-sided love relationship with the businessman and wouldn't allow anyone else to get near him; to Amu was his whore. The rumors didn't really hurt her much since they didn't affect her business of renting out her farmland nor the other little investments that Tadase had talked her into making.

Sometimes, Amu wondered what the people around them would think if they knew the truth about her youthful looks. Sometimes, she wondered what Tadase would think. Could she tell him without him sending her to the looney bin? Could she confide the truth in him without him laughing in her face? There were a few times when she came close to doing just that. Amu got as far as forming the words on her tongue, only to choke them back and say something else instead. Usually about the weather. Her courage was lacking.

During one of their normal dinners, Amu noticed how nervous Tadase seemed to be acting. The male was usually all smiles and confidence. That night, however, he kept fidgeting with something in his lap and shifting in his chair. The difference had Amu a little concerned. "Is everything all right?"

Looking up from his plate, Tadase tried to smile at the girl across the table from him. This shouldn't be so difficult, and yet, he could hardly breathe in his nervousness. "Fine. I'm fine. In fact, I have a question for you."

Blinking a few times, Amu laid her chopsticks down to give the male her full attention. "Okay. What is it?"

Having had conversations countless times with the girl he was with, Tadase knew how to ask certain things without Amu closing down on him like she sometimes would. The boy was no fool. He knew that Amu was much smarter than she let on, even when it was just the two of them. She had knowledge that no young lady should have and seemed to know it, thus kept it under lock and key. "We've been friends for quite some time now, haven't we?"

Nodding, Amu didn't speak so that Tadase would continue.

"And I think our friendship is amazing. However, I would like to make it even more so."

Not really seeing where this was going, Amu narrowed her gaze at the other. "How?"

Slowly, Tadase sucked in a breath of air while pulling out whatever it was that he'd been fingering in his lap. Placing the small box on the table, the male looked up at his friend, his date, the girl he knew he loved. "Marry me?"

Amu didn't quite know what to do. So many emotions flooded through her system at the same time. Everything swirled and pooled together, not allowing her to think straight. Years of watching relationships happen around her had the girl dying to scream yes and accept. At the same time, her tongue was like lead in her mouth.

With a shaky hand, Tadase reached forwards to open the small box and reveal a rather pretty, if he did say so himself, diamond ring. "Our relationship started with friendship. I know we've never really ventured past that point, but I've never wanted to be with any other woman. You're the person I want to spend my years with. Marry me, Amu. Make me happy."

Yes. She wanted to say yes. Making Tadase happy would also make her happy, in a way. She trusted the male. Maybe not completely because she was still unable to tell him the most important thing about herself, but there was still trust. Tadase would remain faithful and loving no matter how old they became. He was secure and safe and Amu wanted to experience love. "Can I think about it?"

Tadase hadn't been expecting that though he should have. Amu always thought everything through no matter how small the deal. "Certainly. You have your trip out to your estate coming up next week, correct? I'll wait for your return and your answer."

Smiling at the male before her, Amu took the ring off the table to look over the shiny object. The diamond seemed to sparkle in the dim lighting of the restaurant they were in. "It's beautiful."

"I thought it would fit you. Keep it until you know what you want to say."

Nodding, Amu slipped the ring, still in its box, into her small purse. The question weighed heavily on her mind as they finished their meal and parted for the night. She would not see her friend again before she left. A fact that now made Amu thankful rather than the sadness she'd been feeling before. The separation gave her time to think.

XXX

Amu, thanks to Tadase, owned several horses. Her small house had been outfitted to have a similarly small stable beside it for her visits. The ride back to her tree was a lot shorter than she'd been taking while traveling on foot and occasionally by wagon. With the wind flowing through her hair as she pushed the strong horse to gallop faster, Amu let her worries fly free in the wind whipping around her. The ring she'd been given earlier that week sat in her saddle bag, safely tucked in between some of her clothing. Part of her wanted to turn around and go find the other and just say yes. The rest of her knew that she needed to talk to her tree first. She owed the growing thing that much considering it had been her only friend in the many years she'd been alive. The tree was the reason for her birth and had saved her life when she was younger. She couldn't just abandon it.

For as fast as she pushed her stallion to get her to her small home, Amu took her time after arriving. Slowly, she put the animal into the stable, making certain to brush down its black coat thoroughly before feeding and watering the animal. After that, Amu entered her house to clear out the spiders and some of the dust. All along, the pinkette could feel the tremor in the air. The knowledge that her tree was just yards away from her never left her mind. Amu felt as though she were being watched and somewhat judged. Not that Amu could blame the stationary being. Never before had she stalled going to greet Tree-san.

Confusion and jealousy were think in the air as Amu swept out her small kitchen. She could almost feel the anger quivering in the branches just outside her home as she continued to ignore her oldest friend.

_Amu-chan._

Ducking her head to hide her guilt, Amu finished her task and started another as if she hadn't heard the call.

_Why are you ignoring me, Amu-chan? Did something happen?_

"Yes." The word was whispered to herself. There was absolutely no way that her tree had been able to hear her response, but it made Amu feel better. The tightness in her chest released just a little. Dropping the towel in her hand as tears flooded to her eyes, Amu ran from her house to throw herself at the foot of her tree. "Everything has happened! Tadase asked me to marry him and I want to! Let me marry him, Tree-san. Let me die."

The air was quiet as the girl wept. Ribbons of wind wove in and out of the leaves of the still young looking tree. They'd both grown so much during their years bonded, and yet, neither showed their true age. In this moment, the tree refused to offer any sort of consoling wisdom. The tree refused to give the girl what she wanted. The tree refused to let go of Amu.

Sniffling, Amu gazed up at the branches shading her from the sun before lightly running her fingers against the bark of the trunk of her tree. The wood beneath her fingers seemed to quiver in excitement at the touch. "I want to grow old with him."

_Does he know?_

Stilling in her movements, Amu hated herself more in that moment than she ever had in her very long existence. She was a coward and had never told the man she now claimed to love the truth about herself. "No."

The tree already knew this. Being that it shared the same blood that flowed through Amu's veins, it knew Amu whether the girl was close by in the house or half way across the world. The tree also knew that Amu hadn't told the man she'd been spending so much time with because the tree had refused to allow her to do so. No human would come between it and its Amu. _Then how do you know that he truly loves you? This man, this Tadase, could easily see you as some kind of freak or monster and leave without ever looking back. If this happens, it'll be too late to reestablish our link. Can you take that risk?_

Amu wanted to be able to say yes, but her mind quickly threw up images of Tadase's back as he walked away, leaving her broken and crying to age and die alone rather than with someone to love. The girl was ten times his age. Old enough to have known the start of his line. And yet, him leaving her would crush her. Amu didn't think she could handle the loss. If she refused the link and allowed for herself to age and then Tadase walked away, Amu would literally have no one. "I-I"

Pushing one final time, the tree used all of its influence to make the girl make the decision that it wanted.

"I can't."

Pleased with the answer, the tree quivered in the wind before brushing one of its branches against Amu's soft cheek. _We bond in a few days but why not do it now? Go and get the knife._

Almost as though she couldn't refuse, Amu found herself heading back to her small house and pulling out the age old blade that never seemed to dull. Returning, the pinkette drew the sharp edge against the branches of the tree before opening gashes in both of her arms. "Bonded."

The tree straightened as their bloods mingled. Its roots almost pulled from the ground as the bond was strengthened once more. _Together for always, Amu. Stay here until this human has passed. Stay with me._

The words left her lips before Amu had time to think the offer over. "Yes. I'll stay."

Pleased with the day, the tree stood tall over the girl sleeping against its trunk. _Stay because you are mine._

.

Morg: I want all of you to stop for a second and just let this chapter sink in. Tadase proposed. Amu wanted to love him but the influence of the tree was too strong and compelled her to do what it wanted. Feel the emotions I was trying to convey. The want, the need, the shame, the hopelessness.

Ikuto: I still say that tree is creepy.

Amu: Ah, no. Tree-san is just misunderstood.

Morg: Please let me know what you think. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT THE TADAMU OR THE LACK OF AMUTO! BE PAITENT YOUNG READERS! I haven't let you down yet, have I?


	13. Chapter 13

Morg: Heyo! I don't really have much to say.

Ikuto: Well that's new.

Amu: Definitely.

Morg: Just hang in there!

Ikuto: For what?

Amu: Due to the fact that Morg doesn't own us, we don't have to stick around to find out.

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

XXX 47 Years Later XXX

After being alive for as many years as she had been, Amu got rather good at making certain that no one ever discovered her secret. Not even the people that lived around her small cottage in the countryside grew any wiser about her real age, or the fact that she didn't age. The fact that her interactions with people outside her home helped. Amu had a small garden that she got most of her vegetables from. The only thing she needed to worry about buying was meat occasionally since she had fruit trees and bushes growing on her property. The farmers that rented her land helped her out by giving her some of their produce as a form of payment. The deal worked for everyone.

Still, Amu couldn't help but look out the window of her cottage and wish to leave. Spending so many years with her tree was peaceful. Her heart finally felt like she could bear returning to the city. She did have her estate there to look after. Hopefully, it wasn't in complete disarray.

The last time Amu had brought up the idea of leaving her tree had disagreed vehemently, saying that Amu was only going to get hurt if she went back too soon and had to see _that man_ with someone else. That comment had made Amu stop talking about returning for the last few years. Now, however, Amu doubted that Tadase could still be alive. So many years had passed and humans simply did not live that long. Granted, their lives were slowly getting longer as the years passed, but Amu didn't believe he could still be alive. Besides that, Tadase had always talked about expanding and travelling. There was a high possibility that he wasn't even still in the city. She had nothing to worry about.

With her mind made up, Amu waited for night to fall before she quietly left her house. Remembering to lock her door behind her, Amu readied her horse to take her back into the city. People were driving loud machines called automobiles, but Amu wasn't entirely interested in getting one. There was no point.

_Amu-Chan, where are you going?_

Refusing to act as though she'd been caught doing something that she wasn't supposed to be doing, Amu turned to look back at her tree standing quietly in the night. "Tree-san."

_Are you leaving me, Amu-Chan?_

Nodding, Amu finished tightening the straps on her saddle. "I've neglected my responsibilities for long enough. I'm going to visit my house in the city and see what needs to be done there. I'll return in time for our next bonding."

_I wish you wouldn't go._

There was no way that Amu was going to let the tree change her mind this time around. "A lot of years have passed, Tree-san. I have nothing to fear."

_The city is going to make you remember sad memories. I simply do not want you to be sad._

"I said that I'd be fine. Besides, if I find that things are too difficult then I'll simply come back."

Hating that Amu was leaving, the tree swayed slightly in the cool night breeze. There was nothing it could say this time around to keep the pinkette near it. The tree knew that now. _Be safe and come back to me soon._

Swinging up into her saddle, Amu dipped her head in response to the tree's request. It wasn't as though she had much of a choice. Amu had to return twice a year to complete their bonding. For as much as she wanted to travel, six months wasn't enough time to get very far, even with the improvements in the mode of transportation. "I'll be back."

The ride was quick. Amu arrived in the city as the sun rose. Few horses were still scattered through the streets. The ageless girl noted that most people drove those loud machines now. Maybe she would have to get one just to fit in better. Her clothes were also a bit out of fashion, though that wasn't one of Amu's main concerns. She could always use the excuse that she was from the country side if anyone commented on what she wore.

Making her way down streets that were still familiar despite their changes, Amu was rather surprised when she arrived in front of her old house to find that it had been taken care of while she was away.

Sliding down from her horse, Amu called for one of the stable hands to lead it around back to where she knew her stable sat. "Can you tell me who has been taking care of this estate?"

Bowing to the lady, the hand gestured for her to go up to the house. "The gentleman is inside today."

Not understanding what the servant meant by that, Amu carefully ascended her stairs to her porch. She'd been expecting her house to be boarded up and for everything to be covered in dust. Not this. "Hello?"

The sound of someone struggling to breathe due to coughing met her ears. Amu ventured further into her house. "Hello? My name is Hinamori Ami, I'm the granddaughter of the owner of this house. Can I please speak with whoever is in charge here?"

More coughing sounded as Amu entered one of the old sitting rooms. An elderly man, riddled with brown spots and a head of sparsely there gray hair met her eyes. "Hello."

Blinking his eyes a few times, the elderly man couldn't help the soft smile that came over him. "Amu-chan. You finally came home."

Fear quickly entering her heart, Amu took half a step back to look at the man again. Seeing past his age and his obvious deterioration, this man was someone she knew. "Tadase?"

Smile displaced only because he'd begun coughing some more, Tadase shakily reached for the glass of water near his chair. A petite hand helped him drink some of the liquid and even wiped his chin after he dribbled some down it. Once he felt that he could breathe properly again, Tadase looked back over at Amu. "You aged better than I did."

Unable to help the laugh that bubbled up from her throat as tears filled her eyes, Amu set the cup back where it had started. "I suppose I do."

The room fell silent again before Tadase cleared his throat. "Amu, I'm old, not stupid. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Amu considered telling the old man before her that he was senile and that she was as she had said before. The granddaughter of herself using her long dead sister's name. The feeling within her stomach told her that if Tadase was there and taking care of her house then she should trust him with her deepest secret. "Why are you here?"

Grinning, Tadase slowly ran his tongue over his lips. He could hardly believe that the girl was back. After almost fifty years, Amu had returned. "Someone had to look after your estate and your investments after you disappeared. I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of choosing what sort of things you'd invest in. I think I did fairly well, considering you are one of the wealthiest people in the country."

Unable to fully understand what was being told to her, Amu fell silent as Tadase continued.

"I said that I'd wait for your return to hear your answer. You were away for longer than planned so I maintained everything for you."

"What about for yourself?"

Chuckling, Tadase coughed a bit again before calming down. "I took care of myself as well. You are looking at one of the only people that has more wealth than you. Unfortunately, I don't have a heir so I've put everything into your name. When I die, you'll get everything."

This didn't make any sense. Tree-san had told her that Tadase wasn't truly in love with her. Her tree had said that the man in front of her, the man that waited for her, would leave her and break her heart. This definitely wasn't the future that her tree had described. Amu felt betrayed, but more than that, she felt guilty. "Tadase…"

"You know, I've been waiting a long time to hear your answer. Do I have to keep waiting?"

Smiling despite her tears beginning to fall, Amu moved forwards to wrap her arms around the old man. Placing a small kiss on the wrinkled cheek of the man she was once convinced she was in love with, Amu pulled back before sniffling. "I'm late. Too late, but I accept."

Even with the girl in his arms being careful and gentle, Tadase could barely support the extra weight. "It is never too late."

Crying fully, Amu pulled away to find some tissues so that she could properly explain herself to the man that deserved an explanation more than any other human in existence. "I did go home. I wasn't lying about that. I have lived in that same small cottage for hundreds of years. It was the house I was born in. Believe me when I say I've lived there for a very long time."

"You always did seem to have a sort of wisdom about you. It's part of the reason I like you so much."

Blushing a bit, Amu nodded her head at the compliment before continuing her story. "Before I was born, my parents were having a hard time conceiving a child. They went to the local healer and she told them to plant a seed. They did so and as the tree grew, I grew. When I was about two or three years old, I became sick. The tree talked to me. I know it sounds crazy, but I can speak with Tree-san."

Noticing that the pinkette was looking at him for him to confirm that he did in fact believe her story, Tadase nodded. "Okay. So far it sounds like an old legend, but I'm old, too. Go on."

"I was told by the tree that if I made cuts into its bark and into my arms that by mixing our blood, I'd heal and live a long life."

"So you naturally, you did as the tree told you to do."

Nodding, Amu refused to make eye contact with the male taking her story rather well. "I got better, but I also started aging at the same rate my tree does."

Understanding, Tadase gave a small nod of his head before coughing and clearing his throat. "And trees live for a very long time."

Biting her bottom lip, Amu chanced a glance back at the man seated before her. "A very long time."

"So that's why you return there as often as you do?"

Giving another nod of her head, Amu folded her hands in her lap before making eye contact with the man she thought dead. "Every six months, I have to complete the bonding ritual or else I will die. That day I left you, I went to tell my tree that I'd found you and that I was going to stop returning so that you and I could be together. So that I could age naturally with you and live a human life at your side."

Eyes boring into the golden ones staring right back at him, Tadase felt a bit breathless. More so than he usually did, anyways. "So why didn't you come back?"

Tears stinging her eyes again, Amu broke the shared gaze to look back at her floor. The rug that Tadase had selected was beautiful. "Tree-san told me that you would reject me if you ever found out the truth. Tree-san convinced me to stay. You have to understand. For as much as I trusted you and loved you, Tree-san…"

"Has been with you from the beginning. You had no reason to distrust your tree. I understand. What do you think now?"

That betrayed feeling was eating away at her gut. Amu knew exactly what she thought of her tree. "I feel as though I was lied to and I know that my relationship with Tree-san will never be the same. I don't want to go back."

Coughing a bit in his rush to answer to Amu's response, Tadase struggled to get up from his chair. Amu rushed to his side to help him whatever he needed. Gripping the girl's arms, Tadase pulled himself up right so that he could look directly into those golden eyes. "No. You mustn't give up your gift of a long life because of this. Promise me that you'll keep living. Promise me that you'll look after yourself and that damn tree. Promise me, Amu!"

The pinkette was sure that she'd run out of tears years ago, and yet, here she was, sobbing as she made her promise. "I will, I promise."

Amu had to promise several times before Tadase would sit back down in his chair. She watched him carefully as he struggled to take some medication. "Are you sick?"

Chuckling, Tadase swallowed the pills before drinking the rest of his water. "Old and dying. That's the man you've returned to. I wish I had a tree like yours, Amu. That way we could never age together."

"No, you wouldn't want that. Not really. It isn't as nice as it sounds. I've watched generations of my family die. People I considered friends. Their lives are like minutes compared to mine."

"Will you miss me when I'm gone?"

Sniffling back a fresh wave of tears, Amu shook her head lightly. "Where are you going?"

Chuckling again, Tadase slowly lifted his hand for Amu to take a hold of it. "I'm glad you came back when you did. I don't have much time left. Cancer is a disease that spreads quickly and I'm afraid there isn't much of my body left that it hasn't taken over. At least I got to see you again."

Squeezing the old hand in hers, Amu failed once again to hold back her tears. "I won't leave you again."

Leaning his head back against the chair he sat in, Tadase slowly closed his eyes. So much excitement in one morning was exhausting. He was beyond glad that he'd managed to convince his nurse to let him visit her house for one last time that morning. "Good. I don't want you to."

Amu held Tadase's hand as the older man fell asleep to the sound of her cries.

XXX

Wishing they could have had more time together, Amu cared for the man she had left behind. Days turned to weeks and weeks to a few short meager months. Still, time was cruel, taking the man from where before she was ready. Tadase's death closed off Amu's heart.

Walking around her house, Amu gently touched things that she now knew were picked out specifically for her by the man she'd just buried. The meeting she had with the lawyer earlier that morning told her that Tadase hadn't been lying when he'd made her his beneficiary. She'd inherited everything from him. Wealth that Amu wasn't quite certain what to do with.

Looking out the window, Amu caught sight of a young tree that had been planted in her yard. She had a few months before she was to return to her own tree. A tree that Amu never wanted to see again. A tree that Amu knew she'd never trust again. A tree that Amu wanted to cut down.

However, she had a promise that she had to keep no matter what.

.

Morg: So I'm rather certain that many of you weren't expecting that.

Ikuto: Nope.

Amu: Why'd you have to do that?

Morg: Because this plot is carefully thought out and perfect. Everything is happening the way it happens for a reason.

Ikuto: Are you going to let me find Amu yet?

Amu: I'd prefer if we didn't meet.

Morg: Of course that is coming! Amu has to rebel a bit first. You'll understand! Hang in there readers!


	14. Chapter 14

Morg: Heyo! Not my birthday any more, but I'm updating for you guys still!

Ikuto: Aren't you nice.

Amu: Too nice.

Morg: I do what I can.

Ikuto: Is that why everything you do is lame?

Amu: Oh snap!

Morg: You are lucky that I don't own you.

Ikuto: You couldn't if you tried.

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

Spending his very long life avoiding humans meant that Kukai wasn't exactly thrilled to be in the middle of a small town with Utau. The fact that she was there was the only reason that he was there. Still, part of getting to be with her was still letting her do her job. Since his meeting with Ikuto, the Angel of Death, Kukai had been more helpful with Utau's tasks. He had yet to see her actually take someone out, but he knew she could. His mate was just that awesome.

Pulling the wolf back by the back of his jacket, Utau rolled her eyes. Leave it to the idiot to almost give them away. "That guy is out there. We don't want him to know that we're watching him. Stop sticking your nose out in the open."

Turning so that he was face his mate, Kukai let his wolfish grin show as he moved closer until their noses almost touched. "You're so sexy when you're looking out for me."

Groaning, Utau shoved Kukai back. Not because she didn't want the other close to her, but because she couldn't do her job if Kukai was distracting her. "Shut up. We need to get to work. Ikuto doesn't appreciate those who can't do their job."

Leaning back against a dirty wall, Kukai let his senses work for him as he took in the scents of the small city. "So what do we do first?"

Utau knew what she was doing. This wasn't her first time taking out someone that figured out a way to live longer than they should have. The routine was rather simple. Get close to the person stealing life from others, find their storage spot and take them out. "I get close to him. I find out what he's using and I destroy it."

Licking his lips, Kukai hummed before speaking. "Sounds great except for the part where you have to get close to him."

Rolling her eyes, Utau sighed loudly while crossing her arms. "That's the only way for me to figure out what he's using to store what he's stealing."

Scoffing, Kukai moved back towards the end of the alleyway to look back out into the street. The man hadn't lived for as long as he had just because he was good looking. No, he knew what to do to survive. He was a wolf, after all.

Using his keen senses, the wolf stayed in the shadows while observing the handsome looking man out on the street. The bastard that they were after was currently smiling at a pretty girl. She was young and full of life. Kukai could see that, though he wasn't at all interested in her. No, he was more interested in the pocket watch that the man was swinging around. Cocky son of a bitch. "That's it. You don't have to get close."

Looking over her lover's shoulder, Utau saw what Kukai was talking about. There was no doubt that the fool was using the watch. "Sometimes I don't understand how idiots manage to figure this out."

Kukai sniffed while wiping at his nose. He flicked his finger before shrugging and looking up at his mate. "Me either."

There were times when Utau really wanted to know how Kukai managed to live longer. There was no bigger idiot than her wolf. "Let's just kill him."

Snarling a bit, Kukai grinned. "My pleasure."

Holding her wolf back by the back of his jacket once more, Utau kept the man from charging out into the street. "Part of doing this job is making sure that normal humans don't know what we're doing. You can't just go running out into the street to kill him."

Hanging his head, Kukai stopped trying to get out into the sunlight. "All right fine. What's your plan then?"

Smirking now, Utau pulled her wolf back before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. With her chin resting on his shoulder, the familiar gave a soft sigh. One that she knew would blow against the wolf's ear. "Wait for him to be alone."

Smirk matching his mate's, Kukai didn't have to wait for Utau to finish what she was saying. His teeth glistened in the darkness of the alleyway. "And kill him."

XXX

Ikuto had better things to do with his time. Much better things to do. However, Kairi was his best. The familiar was never failed. The fact that he'd contacted Ikuto for a meeting didn't worry the Angel of Death. Not one bit.

Appearing beside his master, Kairi kept his head down. "Ikuto."

Not turning to look at the other, Ikuto acknowledged his familiar with the return of his name. "Kairi."

A bit nervous about how this meeting was going to go, Kairi swallowed before he started speaking. Though he'd thought about what he was going to say, those words slipped from his mind now that he was actually speaking to his master. Ikuto was the Angel of Death. His orders were final. "The girl I've been getting close to, Yaya, I have spent years with her and haven't found anything that could show that's she's stealing lives. If anything, she's giving them back. The girl helps children-"

With a raise of his hand, Ikuto silenced his familiar. The other two had already found someone. He supposed it was only a matter of time before his third would as well. "What are you going to do about her?"

Considering that he'd thought the question would come from him and not from Ikuto, Kairi was momentarily stunned. "Sir?"

Releasing a soft sigh, Ikuto turned to look at his familiar for the first time. "Do you think she's evil?"

Kairi didn't have to think about the question. There was no way that Yaya was anywhere close to evil. "No."

Moving to walk away even though he really didn't need to in order to leave, Ikuto didn't bother to look back. "Then I don't know why you're here. She either begins working with you or you kill her."

The Angel was gone before Kairi could respond. Not that he had a response to his master's orders. Killing Yaya wasn't an option. Kairi knew that he'd never be able to do it. Not after all the time that he'd spent with the girl. She was pure. He knew that.

Returning just outside of Yaya's house, Kairi moved up the walk. He knew the other was inside. After spending so much time with Yaya, Kairi could naturally feel when she was close by. It wasn't a feeling he could explain. It was just one that he felt.

Upon entering the house, Kairi found Yaya sitting in her rocking chair as she usually was at this time of the night.

Yaya smiled as she looked up at the man walking in through the door. "Yaya wants to know how your meeting went."

Giving the girl a brief smile, Kairi moved to sit in his designated chair. There was nothing to tell. Nothing to think about. He wouldn't kill her. That just meant that there was only one option left. "Yaya, I have something I want to talk to you about."

Yaya stopped her rocking chair to look up at the man she'd become to enjoy being with. "Yaya wants to know what it is."

Kairi couldn't help his smile. Most of the time he didn't show emotions that way. There wasn't much in the world to smile about. At least, not before he met her.

XXX

Walking hand in hand down the road, Rima didn't bother to look at the man walking beside her. She didn't need to in order to know that Nagi had seen the same thing she did. The witch they were tracking down wasn't do a very good job of hiding. Then again, as the years went by, the people that stole to keep themselves alive were becoming more and more sloppy with their work. They were so easy to spot.

Nagihiko didn't bother to do anything but continue walking with his lover. He knew that Rima had seen what he had. Just another target that would be easy for them to take out. They'd done this together so many times at this point that they didn't really have to talk about what they were going to do. It was sort of a given.

Tugging the girl he loved close to his chest after they rounded a corner, Nagihiko smiled down at the other. "This one might be fun."

Laughing, Rima pushed herself up onto her toes to press a kiss against Nagi's lips. "I always have fun when we're working together."

For as long as he'd been alive, Nagi knew that his life changed forever the day he met Rima. Life before her was something he didn't want to think about. "That's because you're with me."

Rolling her eyes, Rima didn't bother to argue what the other was saying. He did sort of have a point. "It's been a while since we've seen Ikuto."

"Going for years without seeing the master isn't uncommon."

Rima knew that, but he had been sort of checking up on their teamwork after she and Nagi started working together. "Does that mean he trusts us now?"

"He's never not trusted us. That's the whole reason we're still doing our job. Ikuto doesn't give second chances."

"Is that a hint that we shouldn't mess this up."

Chuckling, Nagihiko leaned forward to nuzzle his nose against Rima's. "We aren't going to mess up."

Not when they worked together. Rima knew that.

XXX

The room around him was vibrant with life. The Angel of Death couldn't have cared less. The humans could have their fun as long as they didn't try to cheat him. Ikuto made certain that they never did. The girl flirting with another guy across the bar wasn't someone that he was worried about. He could see that she would be an easy target. She wasn't the one that he could feel.

For years now, Ikuto could feel a power growing. He had yet to find where the source was. It vibrated through the earth, pulling him towards Japan, but then he'd feel it other places in the world. Ikuto would find the source.

Finishing the drink he didn't need and had no effect on him, Ikuto moved from his spot. One look at the girl and she followed him. He had that effect on people. They were compelled to whatever it was that he wanted.

There was never someone that he couldn't take out. He was the Angel of Death. No one lived without his knowledge.

XXX

Kneeling before her tree, Amu looked down at the ring that sparkled on her finger. Years had passed since Tadase's death, but she wore it as remembrance. To keep his memory alive within herself meant that he wasn't truly dead.

"_Still wearing that, Amu-chan?"_

Gritting her teeth so that her tree wouldn't realize her anger, Amu ran her thumb against the bottom of the band. Her ring had gotten her out of some difficulties while she traveled. Mostly because some men respected seeing it on her finger and left it alone. "This is all I have left of him, Tree-san. It's only a memory."

"_You don't need his memory. He would have betrayed you."_

Ignoring the words of her tree, Amu looked back down at the diamond on her finger. As much as she never wanted anything to happen to the ring, Amu could feel that her tree hated it. This could be her chance. "Tree-san, how can I prove to you that he's nothing to me now? You are my tree. You're the only one in my life."

A breeze ruffled through the leaves of her tree before a response came. "_Take the ring off."_

A hitch in her breath was all Amu allowed after hearing the tree's demand. "If I do this, you will trust me? I'll come back every six months to see you and you'll let me go?"

_"Am I not doing this for you already? Amu-chan only has to come back twice a year as it is right now."_

Keeping her head down so that her tree wouldn't see her eye roll, Amu gave a slight nod of her head. That was a lie. Her urges to return were getting stronger and stronger. Pretty soon she'd be coming back three times a year. "Is it a deal?"

Bristling its leaves, the tree gave in. "_Deal."_

Getting to her feet, Amu dusted the dirt from her dress before looking up at the trunk of her tree. Worrying the ring off her finger, she let it drop to the dirt. A root shot up to hook through the diamond ring before dragging it down into the dirt. Amu refused to let a tear leak from her eyes. "I will see you in six months."

The tree seemed to be blowing around in the wind as it waved her goodbye.

Releasing a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding as she drove away from her house. Six months. She had six months of freedom. She would use every minute of it. She would also push against her urges for more.

.

Morg: Oh hohoho! I'm getting so very close to the end of this story. I hope that all of you can appreciate it!

Ikuto: I'd appreciate it more if you'd just have us meet.

Amu: I'm fine with the story being like this.

Morg: There are five chapters left. You'll take what I give you.

Ikuto: Oh jeez.

Amu: It's almost over!

Morg: Don't sound so excited.


	15. Chapter 15

Morg: Heyo! So very close to the end.

Ikuto: You better make this chapter amazing.

Amu: I'm certain that you shouldn't do anything at all.

Morg: So just end the story now?

Ikuto: Nope.

Amu: Works for me.

Morg: Well, I don't own you so I guess it doesn't matter what I do.

Ikuto: Of course it matters! You will not do this to me!

Amu: The end!

Morg: We'll see.

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

The scene around him never changed much. Ikuto was used to the bustle of the world. So much life. So much death. He watched them grow. These humans that think they're on top of the world. Ikuto liked watching them think they could do anything. In the end, he brought them all home.

It was amidst all the chaos that he saw her. Pink hair blowing in the wind as she stared off the edge of a pier. The lighthouse that the pinkette was staring at was very pretty. Ikuto had thought so the moment he saw it. However, he wasn't there for the sights that day.

No, that day he was looking at the girl there. He'd followed the source of the power that he could feel vibrating around him. It was her. She looked innocent and beautiful as she stared out at the waves of the ocean, but he didn't believe it for a moment. The girl would be like the others.

Smirking to himself, Ikuto moved to approach her on the walk. This girl would submit to him like others had in the past. One look and she wouldn't be able to refuse him. The amount of power that she had meant absolutely nothing to death.

Amu smiled to herself as she looked out at the waves. There was a huge difference between here and her home. While she was here, she didn't have to think about her tree. Not when she didn't feel the urges. They'd be coming soon, though. She had maybe a month or a bit more before she was forced to go back.

Still, she wasn't going to dwell on it too much. Not when she could see so much more of the world before going back. She had the money to do so. She had the power to do so. Nothing would hold her back.

Turning, Amu found herself facing a man. He was taller than she was. His hair was a beautiful shade of dark blue. For a moment she wondered if it was normal like hers, or dyed like so many did those days. In the end, she didn't think twice about it. "Excuse me."

She was polite, Ikuto had to give her that. It was sort of a nice change. He'd met too many witches that thought they owned the world and everything in it. Maybe he'd give this one a chance to play some more just because of her manners. "My apologies."

Amu gave the stranger a brief smile before ducking around him to make her way back down the walk. For a moment, she'd felt the need to stay and chat with the man some more. She couldn't though. Not when her last encounter with a man ended the way it had. The tree might have taken her ring, but she wasn't giving up Tadase's memory.

Ikuto turned to watch the girl walk away from him. She was interesting for sure. The look he'd given her would have had any other under his spell. They would have been drawn to him so much so that he could have played with them in any way that he wanted. She'd walked away. That alone intrigued Ikuto.

He was going to have fun with this one for sure. She was, after all, the power he'd been tracking for so long. There was no way that he was going to continue to let her evade him. She would die like the others when he wanted her to.

Ikuto stayed at the end of the pier for a while. He could feel the girl. She wasn't leaving the area. He had plenty of time to play. Play he would.

XXX

Amu sighed as she re-entered her house on the coast. It'd be easy to make dinner for herself and stay in that night, but being around people, even if she was eating alone in a restaurant, was better than being alone completely. For that reason, she got dressed and went out to eat. What she wasn't expecting was to see the same handsome man she'd met earlier on the coast. He looked to alone as well, though that meant nothing to Amu.

Following the girl with his eyes, Ikuto watched as the pink haired girl moved through the small restaurant towards a table. It was set for one but had two seats. Perfect.

Looking up in surprise when someone sat at her table across from her, Amu's eyes met with dark ones.

"Is this seat taken?"

If there was one thing that Amu had learned during all her years it was that honesty was always the better route to take. "It's not."

Sitting across from the girl, Ikuto held back his smirk. There was no reason to tip her off that something might be going on. "Is that a Japanese accent I hear? What are you doing all the way here in Spain?"

Smiling politely, Amu bit back her response that it was none of this man's business what she was doing ever. Though her mother might have died hundreds of years ago, she'd still raised Amu right. "Visiting. I own a house here on the coast. I try to visit every year."

Already knowing that the girl across from him was the oldest human that he'd ever met, Ikuto wasn't at all surprised to hear that she had multiple houses around the world. There was no doubt in his mind that she probably owned billions of dollars. "A house in Spain on the coast? You must live a rather comfortable lifestyle."

Again, Amu had the thought that it was really none of this man's business. Forcing herself to relax, she took a breath before smiling. Tadase might have died a few years ago, but that didn't mean that his memory wasn't still fresh in Amu's mind. What was a few years when she'd already lived for so many? "I inherited a substantial amount of funds when my fiancé died. His last wish was for me to enjoy my life even though he isn't here anymore. I plan to do so."

Ikuto wondered for a moment how she'd done it. There was no doubt in his mind that this girl had killed the man that she spoke of. How could a human become so twisted that they not only killed others for their life but also for their money? She had definitely lived for too long. "So now you get to travel the world?"

Amu heard it. The slight change in the stranger's tone. He thought little of her. Probably thought that she betrayed Tadase in some way. Well, she had, but not the way this man was thinking. This man knew nothing. "You are mistaken about me, sir. "

"Call me Ikuto."

Smiling briefly to try and hide her displeasure at his interruption, Amu took in a deep breath before continuing. "Ikuto. My fiancé's death did little to add to the funds in my name. Travelling has been my way of life for many years."

There was no doubt in his mind that the pinkette was telling the truth. However, Ikuto didn't care to know how many other men she'd killed for money and power. Her polite attitude would not keep her alive for much longer. Not when he was learning her true colors so easily. "I didn't get your name."

"I didn't give it."

Ah, she was smart. No wonder she'd managed at avoid him for so long. Not many could. But her brains would not save her from him now. "And if I ask for it?"

Shrugging a bit, Amu finished her tea just as her dinner was brought to her. There were certain types of food that had lost taste to her. Travelling help her be able to still find new things to eat. The longer that she stayed connected to her tree, Amu realized that she wouldn't have to eat as much to live. They were almost fully connected. "I don't see why I should give it to you? You invited yourself to my table without an introduction and have been quick to judge me since. Whatever wrongs you've think I've done, you are mistaken."

Ikuto took a moment to just watch the human eat. Her bites were small and most of her food was just shifted around. It was clear that she wasn't hungry, but was eating for appearances sake. No matter how many life forces that witches stole, none of them had ever had to stop eating. This girl was definitely different. She had something else going on. Something that had been shielding her from him. He had to know what it was.

Giving the girl across from him a small smile, Ikuto shrugged his shoulders in an apologetic manner. He was quite to judge. Mostly because he'd never been wrong. "Forgive me for my lack of manners. I have met many people who appear sweet and innocent but turn out to be the most sinister creatures. I've become a bit cynical in recent years. I don't mean you any insult."

His response was a good one, though Amu wasn't going to forgive him for being an ass just yet. "Why should what other people do affect your opinion of me? I haven't done anything to you."

Explaining to her who he was and what he did was far out of the question. Ikuto couldn't risk scaring her off. Not when it had taken him so long to find her in the first place. If she disappeared again then he'd have to start his search from scratch. "I apologize. It shouldn't. My opinion of you should only be based upon what I know of you. It is rather difficult to begin building a good opinion of you when I don't have the pleasure of knowing your name."

Smirking because this man definitely knew his way around words, Amu gave a slight bow of her head as she placed money on the table from inside her purse. The amount was much more than her meal had cost, but money was never going to be an issue for her. The workers at the restaurant could use it so much more than she could. "You may call me Amu."

Knowing that following her out of the café now would only cause her to be wary of him, Ikuto returned to bow that he'd been given. It wasn't until she'd left the restaurant and disappeared into the night that he repeated her name. "Amu."

Taking her time to enjoy the night air, Amu smiled. The pull at the corners of her lips felt slightly strange. There hadn't been much for her to smile about since Tadase's death. But Ikuto, as much of a bastard as he was, made her smile. His wit and his humor, though she'd seen very little of the second, was something she hadn't encountered in years. He was a smart man. She had to give him that.

The smile that had been so prevalent on her face started to fade. She couldn't become involved with him any further than she already was. The pain of losing Tadase was still so fresh. There was no way that she could go through that a second time. Not to mention how furious her tree would be. As much as she now hated her tree, Amu couldn't deny the power that it had over her. The tree could always call her back. There was nothing Amu could do to resist the pull of her tree. It was a terrible feeling.

Wrapping her arms around herself as she walked through the night, Amu lowered her head just a little. She could never have a relationship with Ikuto. She could never have a relationship with any human. Never again.

.

Morg: I wanted this to be posted weeks ago. To those of you who I promised to post this for, I apologize for the long delay. I had no internet when I was in California. It sucked.

Ikuto: You can make up as many excuses as you want.

Amu: No one cares.

Morg: I care!

Ikuto: That's because you're lame.

Amu: Totally.


	16. Chapter 16

Morg: Heyo! So little trust!

Ikuto: What do you mean?

Amu: The readers are probably giving her a hard time.

Morg: Have I ever let you guys down?

Ikuto: Yes.

Amu: All the time.

Morg: I mean, when it's important!

Ikuto: Yes.

Amu: All the time.

Morg: Whatever. I don't own either of you so it doesn't matter what you say!

**~Your Blood in Mine~ **

_You've been away for a while now, Amu-chan._

Shifting so that she could face into the breeze, Amu took a breath of clean air. The blossoms on her tree were too fragrant. They made her head ache. "We agreed that I wouldn't have to come back as often."

_You fought the urge, didn't you?_

Twisting her fingers together without turning to look back at her tree, Amu took another breath. If the urge wasn't forcing her back, if she hadn't promised Tadase that she'd live longer, there was no way that she'd be connected to her tree still. The being that she had thought was her friend and only companion was really deceitful and possessive. Amu hated it. "Of course I did. I was busy and half way around the world. I came back as I promised. No harm done."

_Don't fight it again, Amu-chan. I can't control it and I don't want to make you suffer._

Lies. Amu had heard many of them through the years. Spending another moment listening to them would be torture. Before she could tell her tree anything. Before she considered the other a great confident. That was before. Now she knew the truth.

Amu couldn't say anything to her tree about her travels. That would only make her urge come faster. She'd figured that much out. Tree-san didn't like hearing that she met people while she was away. The tree always warned her to never get attached. Amu couldn't even tell the others about Ikuto, the arrogant man that she'd spent a few days with in Spain. Her tree would not like to hear about it, and Amu wasn't going to do anything that would force her to give up her freedom faster than she needed to.

Turning so that she could face her tree-Amu knew that the tree would be angry if she left without looking back-the pinkette lifted her hand to place it on the tree's trunk. The bark beneath her fingers and palm shivered. The feeling used to give her joy. Now it made her sick. "I'll be back in a few months. I've always returned before. You have nothing to worry about. I can handle the urges for a while. I'm not fighting them because I don't want to return."

Quivering the tree held its silence. Pushing Amu-chan would only make them grow a part more. The human was still mourning the loss of another human. One that Amu-chan should have never befriended in the first place. The tree would not allow for her to do that again.

Instead, the tree allowed one of its branches to catch the breeze and rub against Amu-chan's cheek. No human would come between the tree and its human. No one.

Moving away, Amu hid her shudders at the feel of the caress. Sharing her blood with the tree was bad enough. She didn't want it to touch her. "I'll be back."

_See you soon, Amu-chan._

Amu swore, as she left, that it wouldn't be as soon as the tree wanted it to be.

XXX

Ikuto had lost her after she left Spain. The Angel of Death had attempted to follow the witch for a while, but she was good. The girl didn't leave a trail for him to follow. There was no foul tasting magic in the air. No unexplainable deaths. She wasn't like the others, which was the only reason that Amu was still alive.

Still, as the bringer of death, Ikuto wasn't about to let a human live for longer than they were supposed to. Not even one as cute as Amu. She was beautiful. Definitely more attractive than any witch he'd ever seen before. That was saying a lot.

Even if she managed to get away, Ikuto could still feel her presence. Now that he knew that that was her, he wasn't going to let her get away. Amu would be his. No one escaped death.

Following her presence, Ikuto caught sight of the pinkette again in Russia. She appeared to have a home there as well. The girl looked beautiful in her white furs. The contrast that they had against her hair was perfect. Ikuto took a moment to just look at her before he approached. "Hello again, Amu."

Refusing to show that she was startled by the appearance of a man that she didn't think she'd ever see again, Amu put a fake smile in place before looking up. "Ikuto, what a surprise."

"So do you have a house here as well?"

Nodding, Amu snuggled further into her furs. Something about the other man seemed off. There was the possibility that someone discovered the truth about her. Amu had been alive long enough to know that some humans just couldn't be trusted. Something seemed off about this one. "I do."

Just as she had been in Spain, Amu wasn't overly talkative. The witch seemed guarded, though Ikuto wasn't surprised by this fact. Not really. She'd been alive long enough that there was no doubt in his mind that she'd been cheated a few times before. Then again, she had a reason not to trust him even if she didn't know what that reason was. "What are the chances that we've met again?"

Turning back to look at the snow covered countryside, Amu let out a breath that appeared white in the air. "Not very great. Are you following me?"

Chuckling, Ikuto decided to not answer that question. "You think I don't have business in Russia?"

"You could have business anywhere in the world. We didn't talk much about you the last time I saw you."

"Should we correct that mistake?"

Amu didn't particularly like the smile on Ikuto's lips. It looked sinister in a way. Every inch of her was telling her to run. That this man was dangerous. "I don't think that we need to."

Smart girl. She was attempting to avoid him. Ikuto wasn't going to allow it. No, he was going to figure out what her object was even if he had to tie her up until she told him. "At least allow me to take you out for dinner. I was a bit rude to you in Spain. Let me prove that there is a little bit of gentleman left in me."

As reluctant as she was, Amu felt herself giving in. Ikuto truly looked as though he wanted to prove himself to her. "I have food already cooking at my home."

Ikuto felt his chance to openly watch her start to dwindle away. This witch was going to be hard to catch.

"You may accompany me if you'd wish."

Then again, maybe not. "I would love to."

Forcing down a bit of panic, Amu nodded before turning to lead the way back towards her place. He was only going to be there for supper and then he'd be on his way. "I hope that you like potatoes and carrots. There isn't much else to eat in this country."

Ikuto knew. Russia wasn't in the best state. Then again, it never really was. Ikuto felt right at home in this country. Death was everywhere. "I will eat anything you make."

Supposing that the comment would have flattered anyone else, Amu gave a brief smile. Accepting affection from others wasn't something she was particularly good at. The pinkette had little experience with interacting with humans outside of business deals. At first, she'd been happy with just her tree. Now she hated being alive. Even if this man was dangerous, Amu wasn't afraid. "I hope so. Otherwise it would have been stupid for you to accept my invitation."

She definitely had spunk. Ikuto liked that about Amu. "I'll make sure to compliment anything you cook no matter the taste."

Snorting, Amu didn't bother to hide her laughter. The man was an idiot. She sort of liked it. "I don't cook bad food."

"I'll be the judge of that."

Ikuto wasn't certain how he'd managed to get her to laugh. It was a pretty sound. Part of him wanted to hear it again. The rest of him reminded him that he had to focus on his task. There were surly other humans avoiding death. He couldn't waste a hundred years on Amu. She would begin to get suspicious of him after a while.

Stopping just in front of the door to her small cottage, Amu turned back to look at the dark haired man. "Please make yourself at home."

Grinning, Ikuto gave the girl a nod before she'd open the door. There was no doubt in his mind that Amu was going to try something. She was going to show her true colors and attempt to steal his life or something. The girl didn't like him. Why else would she invite him back to her house? Ikuto was going to have a lot of fun watching her fail. Watching her die.

Removing her large coat, Amu hug the white furred cloak on a hook near her door. She motioned for Ikuto to place his next to hers before she sat to remove her boots. The urge to return to her tree was just starting to tingle in her fingertips. Amu forced the feeling aside as she got back to her feet. "I'll go stir the pot. Feel free to look around. I don't mind."

Ikuto was a bit surprised to find the place so sparsely decorated. Amu hadn't put much time into making sure that there were a lot of expensive objects in her home. Though that did make it a bit more comfortable. The angel felt as though he could walk around without having to be careful with what he was doing.

There was one thing that he noticed was missing. It was in all the other humans' houses that he'd been in. Amu's house, however, didn't have one. Not in any of the rooms that he snooped through.

"The stew will be ready in a few minutes."

Turning to look at the pinkette, Ikuto smiled again. "Amu, I haven't noticed any pictures of your family anywhere. You have houses all around the world but nothing to remind you of home?"

Trying to hide her expression, Amu turned. Cameras hadn't been invented yet when she had a family. Now all that was left was her tree. Amu would never put anything to remind her of that thing in any of her homes. "I don't have any pictures of them."

Ikuto figured that that was true enough. He could feel the age of the girl before him. There was no way that cameras had been around back then. Still, some witches faked it. They wanted to appear as normal as possible to their prey. Amu didn't even try to explain some false story. As far as he could tell, she'd been honest. "That's too bad."

The topic of her family wasn't something that she particularly wanted to talk about. There was never a second that she blamed her parents for her connection to the tree. They'd only done what they'd done in order to protect her. Amu would never hold that against them. No, their memory would remain pure for as long as she held it. "They passed away a long time ago."

That was remorse. That was an emotion that he'd never heard from any other witch. In fact, that was an emotion he hadn't felt from someone so old since the day he took Utau to be his familiar. Something was definitely strange about Amu. "So where is your home?"

The change in topic wasn't a big one. Amu knew that Ikuto was probably very curious about her history. Who wouldn't be? She was a women with standing in the world. She didn't need a man. That fact was very strange for a women in their day and age. "Japan. We've talked about this."

Smiling, Ikuto moved to sit on the couch in Amu's small living room. The house was plenty warm. Not that he felt the temperature. At least, it didn't affect him like it did to other humans. "So we did. I was only wondering if that was still your home."

Knowing that she still had some time before she had to return to the kitchen, Amu sat opposite of the man in her home. She hadn't had a proper conversation with anyone since Tadase had been alive. Maybe this would do her some good. "It is. I have a home in Tokyo, though the home I grew up on is in the countryside. It isn't anything as grand as any of my other houses."

"You still keep it?"

Looking out the small window, Amu watched as snowflakes began to fall. Her time was almost up. "I do, though not entirely by my choice. I wouldn't return there if I didn't have to."

The conversation was getting interesting. Ikuto wanted to know more. Maybe the object she used was kept there. He was going to find out. One way or another. "Why not?"

Snapping back to her living room, Amu pushed herself up and off the chair she'd been sitting in. "The food is done. I'll go pull it off the stove. Make your way towards the kitchen please."

Patience wearing thin, Ikuto stood to catch Amu's wrist. "Look, I'm done playing. Tell me what you use. I tried to be nice and wait for you to reveal it. I know what you are. Your kind never gets away with the evils that you use."

Shocked, Amu struggled to release herself from Ikuto's grip. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Pulling the pinkette to his chest, Ikuto immobilized the other by twisting her arm behind her back. "I am Death. No human lives for as long as you have. I will bring your life to an end."

This was the reason that she'd feared him. Amu knew that Ikuto wasn't lying. He truly was who he said he was. She could feel it. "I don't have some secret object! Release me!"

Smirking, the Angel of Death shook his head as he dragged Amu into her bedroom. He would force her to tell him. No one escaped death.

.

Morg: I'm so proud of this story.

Ikuto: I have no idea why.

Amu: Just end it now.

Morg: No way! I have a few chapters left! There's so much that's going to happen still!

Ikuto: You know what it's going to take for me to like this.

Amu: Like I said, just end it now.

Morg: Nope!


	17. Chapter 17

Morg: Heyo! A lot of you have dirty minds.

Ikuto: Can you really blame them?

Amu: It isn't like you write clean stories.

Morg: All I'm saying is that it was interesting to read all those reviews.

Ikuto: Maybe you should listen to them.

Amu: Nope.

Morg: I could.

Ikuto: You should.

Amu: You don't own us!

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

Amu felt as though she was being torn apart. The urge within her to return to her tree was beyond strong. Any other conscious thoughts that she could have had were being pushed out of her mind by the need to complete the ritual. Her tree was calling. Amu felt as though she was already dying. The pain, the drive to return was what was tearing her apart. Ikuto was keeping her there.

Lifting her head as she heard the male enter her bedroom, Amu looked through her pink hair at the other. "Please. Please let me go."

Scoffing, Ikuto shook his head. Whatever this witch was doing to keep herself alive was different from anything else he'd encountered before. It intrigued him. How long would she keep up this act before using her powers and reveal her power source? Ikuto was looking forward to finding out. "Not until you tell me what I want to know."

Squeezing her eyes shut, Amu whimpered as the urge only got stronger. There was no way for her tree to know what was happening to her. All her tree knew was that it was calling and Amu wasn't coming. Tree-san was going to be more than upset whenever Amu made it back to her. "Please. Let me go."

"No."

Dropping her head back down, Amu let a few tears escape her eyes. There was no hope that the male that had trapped her would let her go. Amu just wanted it to stop. "Then kill me."

Ikuto couldn't help but be shocked to hear such a request. No one had ever asked for death before. Not when they'd already lived this long. "What?"

"I-It won't stop. If you won't let me go then please just kill me. I can't… I can't take this anymore."

The request was so bizarre that Ikuto took a moment to think about it. Amu hadn't shown any signs of where her power came from for the last month that he'd had her tied up. At first she just ignored him or demanded that he released her. Then it turned into pleading. Now she seemed almost dead. Like all the fight in her was almost gone. Either she was the most stubborn witch in existence, or she wasn't the one controlling her life. "What will you do if I let you go?"

Eyes flashing as she met his gaze, Amu struggled a bit against her bonds. The words coming out of her mouth were harsh and not her own. "Return! I will return! Fuck you! Fuck you for thinking that you could keep me here! Me! You have no idea who you are messing with, human."

Ikuto watched with one of his eyebrows raised as the girl panted before him. Clearly, she had no idea that he wasn't human. "And who are you?"

Amu kept her gaze on Ikuto's. "Hinamori Amu. Daughter of the Earth. Release me."

The Angel of Death found himself more than stunned as the girl before him almost seemed to float up and off the bed. Her eyes flashed from their golden honey color to green. The pupils were all that was black. Amu definitely had power that was no hers flowing through her veins. Whether the pinkette was aware of it or not wasn't clear.

Ikuto, being the Angel of Death, needed to know where the power came from. "Then I'll release you."

The moment her bonds were released, Amu hissed before bolting from the room.

Not really surprised that the girl ran right away, Ikuto followed. Her speed was incredibly, though he had no real issue with keeping up with her. He could move as quickly or as slowly as he wanted. Amu was racing. The girl didn't stop to be bothered by the coldness in the air or the fact that faster transportation was available to her. She simply ran through the cold as fast as her legs could carry her.

The Angel of Death wasn't overly surprised when Amu began swimming when she reached the ocean. Ikuto kept waiting for the pinkette to run out of energy, but Amu seemed to have a never ending supply of it. She kept moving. That or something was pulling her to it. Ikuto didn't allow himself to fall behind.

Amu didn't realize what she was doing until she was racing down the road to her farm. Tree-san was in view. It wasn't until she could see the tree that she tried to stop herself. However, she was too late. The urge was so strong that she couldn't stop herself from flinging herself at the tree's base. "Tree-san!"

A branch rose to move against Amu's cheek. _"You resisted me for so long, Amu-chan. That was very naughty of you."_

Panting, Amu squeezed her eyes shut as bark cut into her skin. She might have been there, but her tree didn't relent. "No! I wanted to come! I was held back! I didn't mean fo-"

"_DON'T LIE TO ME!"_

Crying out as the tree beneath her shook in fury, Amu whimpered as she attempted to remain calm. There was nothing she could do but take her tree's anger. "Tree-san, I-"

"_I don't want excuses, Amu-chan. You're here now. We'll complete our bonding and live together for a while. I don't think it'll be safe for you to leave."_

Ikuto stayed far back. The exchange that he was watching made his blood boil. Amu wasn't stealing life from innocents to stay alive. No, this tree had bonded with her. The bond was old. So old that Ikuto knew that Amu was by far the oldest human alive, even amongst his familiars. As the Angel of Death, Ikuto could not let this bond continue to exist.

With a single thought, Ikuto called all six of his familiars to his side. He would need all of them for this task.

Understanding that the situation was serious, none of the six that had suddenly appeared spoke. They waited for their master's commands.

Ikuto took a small step forward. The tree was forcing Amu to press so closely to it that she bled. It intended to renew their bond in such a cruel way. "Utau, Kukai, the two of you are fast. You will get in there and rescue Amu. She will fight you to return to the tree. Understand me that she is not allowed to do so."

Utau nodded before turning to Kukai to press a kiss to his lips. They nodded once to each other before squatting down to get ready to sprint in and rescue the girl their master wanted.

Glancing to his right, Ikuto motioned for Nagi and Rima to move with him. "Yaya and Kairi will be a distraction. This tree will not easily give up Amu. Nagi and Rima, you will have to be offensive. While Kairi and Yaya make certain that Utau, Kukai and Amu stay safe, you will attack. To kill this tree, I must strike the roots. There cannot be a mistake."

Not bothering to question how the Angel of Death wanted them to complete their task, Rima and Nagihiko both nodded before taking up fighting stances. Yaya and Kairi were already finding things around the yard to use in order to protect Kukai and Utau.

With his familiars ready for the fight, Ikuto made his presence known. "Tree, you time upon this earth is long over."

Amu cried out as she was pressed closer to her tree. That voice. She knew that voice, but how had Ikuto followed her to her home.

_"What is the meaning of this, Amu? Did you try and bring someone home? What have I told you about doing that?"_

Screaming as small branches pressed into her skin, Amu threw her head back. "No! I didn't know! I didn't bring him!"

Ikuto gritted his teeth at the sight of Amu being tortured. He might not have known the girl very well, but he didn't like seeing needless pain. "I am the Angel of Death."

_"I don't know what the purpose of your visit is, Angel. I have no need of you here."_

Scowling, Ikuto lifted his hand to signal his familiars. "I have come for your life."

As he predicted, the tree lashed out at them. Clearly, it didn't want to give up its extended life so easily. The attacks were futile as Ikuto was ready for them. He dodged branches and roots with ease. Kairi and Yaya doing the same as the stayed close enough to keep the tree's attention focused on them.

Kukai ran one way as Utau took a separate route. Both were aware that the tree had Amu in its grip. The pinkette had several small branches piercing her flesh at various points on her body. Getting her away from the tree would not be easy.

Amu screamed again as hands closed around her shoulders and arms. They pulled hard on her. However, her tree did not simply release her. Amu felt bits of her skin and muscle be torn from her body as she was pulled away. Blood ran freely from the wounds.

With the girl in his arms, Kukai moved and dodged as he made his way back to Utau. She'd signaled for him to take the chance to snatch Amu. Together, they forced the struggling girl further from the tree.

"Release me! Release me now!"

Seeing that Amu was safely out of range of the tree, Kairi and Yaya fell back to protect Utau and Kukai as they held a struggling Amu down. The girl was rather strong for being so injured.

Nagi and Rima exchanged glances before into action. While Kairi and Yaya had been deflecting hits and attacks, Nagi and Rima struck first. They broke branches from the tree, pulled roots from the ground and did everything they could to damage the tree.

Ikuto paused for only a moment to look back at the struggling pinkette on the ground. Her life… he couldn't even begin to imagine what it would have been like. To live like she had for centuries. There was only one other person in existence that he could think of that had done the same as she had. Himself.

Without hesitating, Ikuto bolted to the tree. Using a giant scythe, Ikuto cut the trunk in two. The tree screamed in agony, though the blow didn't kill it. Ignoring Amu's agonizing screams, the Angel of Death struck his blow. Digging the sharp end of his scythe into the roots. The tree died instantly.

With his familiars relaxing around him, Ikuto turned back to see the panting and crying girl on the ground. "Amu?"

Heart beating faster than it ever had in her life, Amu felt a great weight lift off her. "Is it over? Is it dead?"

Smiling down at the bleeding girl, Ikuto couldn't help but nod. "Yes. I killed the tree."

Crying for an entirely different reason, Amu curled in on herself. She could feel it. The empty space that the tree left in her soul. For the first time in her entire life, Amu felt completely alone.

Wanting to speak with Amu alone, Ikuto dismissed his familiars. With a flick of his hand, he returned them to wherever they'd been before he'd called them. There wasn't a point in discussing what had happened between them. Ikuto never had to explain himself.

Kneeling beside the bleeding girl, Ikuto rested his hand against Amu's shaking back. "Amu, I know that you're hurting right now. Let's go inside your house and get you cleaned up."

Allowing the man she now knew to be Death help her to her feet, Amu didn't bother to try and stop her tears. She had a lot of them to cry.

Ikuto was patient through his task of helping Amu get cleaned up. At no point did he attempt to rush her or console her. Amu had plenty to think about as it was. He wasn't going to add his useless words to her already full mind.

Not until he had her lying in her bed, bandaged and clean, did Ikuto speak. Slowly, he brushed her bangs away from her face. "You've been alive for a very long time, Amu."

Closing her eyes at such soft touches, Amu nodded her head. "I have."

"You have a choice, Amu. I won't make it for you."

Staring up at the man looking down at her, Amu felt her mind start to empty. Nothing else seemed to matter as she stared Death in the face. "What are my options?"

Ikuto swallowed before answering. "I can end it now. You can fall asleep and never have to wake to this world again. You will sleep peacefully for eternity."

Amu didn't speak as she waited for Ikuto to give her the next option.

"I will allow you to live your life like a normal human. You will begin to age like a normal human and you will die in some fifty or so years when I come back for you."

Opening her mouth, Amu was about to ask for the choice that she wanted.

Cutting the girl off before she could answer, Ikuto moved just a bit closer. "Or. Or you can become one of my familiars. You've been alive for a very long time. You know the world and would be a great asset in helping me protect the earth."

Amu was shocked to say the least at the proposal. She hadn't expected it. "What would that take? What would I have to do?"

Ikuto wasn't surprised to hear the question. After being forced her entire life to be at the mercy of a tree there was no doubt in his mind that Amu wasn't going to easily enter into another contract. "To be one of my regular familiars, you don't have to do anything. However, I am also offering you something more."

"What's the more?"

Never in his existence did Ikuto have to worry about possibly being rejected. Not until now. "Become my equal. Be an Angel of Death and work by my side."

Not wanting to refuse the other, but not having decided on what she wanted her fate to be, Amu kept her eyes locked with Ikuto's. "To do that. To become your equal, what does that take?"

Licking his lips as he avoided her eyes, Ikuto stared at the wall for a moment before looking back down at Amu. "Your innocence. The tree tainted your blood with its magic. However, it couldn't corrupt all of you. To become my equal, you must be mine. Allow me to take you. Though I will be giving myself to you, as well."

Understanding flooded Amu's mind as her eyes widened slightly. She knew how humans made more humans. That wasn't something she'd never learned. However, it was something that she'd never experienced. Her tree had never allowed her to become close enough with another human for it to be possible. Not even Tadase. "How… How do we make our deal?"

Not knowing yet which choice Amu had picked, Ikuto leaned closer to the beautiful pink haired girl. "With a kiss."

A kiss from Death. Amu figured that she could handle that as she wrapped her hand around the back of Ikuto's neck and brought his face closer to hers. "I know what I choose."

Ikuto felt their lips touched and only hoped that whatever Amu picked that he would like.

.

Morg: I'm a cruel, cruel person.

Ikuto: You are. You really are.

Amu: Not that bad.

Morg: There's only an epilogue left. We'll see what Amu chose then.

Ikuto: This is stupid. Tell us now.

Amu: Whatever.

Morg: Peace!


	18. Chapter 18

Morg: Heyo!

Ikuto: I don't want to read this.

Amu: Don't be sad because it's over.

Morg: Hey! I think it's a great ending!

Ikuto: Whatever. You probably didn't write it the way I wanted.

Amu: It's not your story, though.

Morg: I don't own the two of you, but I own the plot.

Ikuto: Yeah, yeah. I get it.

**~Your Blood in Mine~**

The feeling was one that he'd had before. Death. Death had come for him. Tsukasa knew that he would not be able to escape Death twice. Then again, he didn't particularly want to. "I knew that you'd be back."

Not speaking, Ikuto waited for the older man to look up. The years had been kind to the old man in the middle of the woods. Tsukasa barely looked older than the last time he'd seen him.

Lifting his head to look Death in the face, Tsukasa froze in his spot when he noticed that the usual stoic male wasn't alone. A young girl with bright pink hair stood at his side. "Hello? Who is this?"

Smiling sweetly, the girl stayed in her spot beside the Angel of Death. "Hello. I am Death, but you may call me Amu."

One brow slowly slid up the old man's forehead. "I have never known there to be two Deaths. I was not aware."

Ikuto looped his arm around Amu's waist as they faced the man they were there to welcome home. "We are Death. One in the same."

Tsukasa didn't understand, but he knew that it wasn't for his mind to comprehend. "You've let me live far longer than I thought you would."

Smiling, Amu moved forward to place a kiss on the old man's cheek. "You look weary. How about a rest?"  
>The girl was beautiful. Tsukasa thought she looked good beside Ikuto. The Angel of Death did not look as lonely as he once had. "A rest would be nice."<p>

Ikuto held out his hand for Amu to return to his side. Eternity would be less burdensome now that he had someone to spend it with. The pinkette played her part of his equal beautifully. Then again, everything she did was perfect in his eyes. He'd been lucky to find her. Evil tree or not. "Time to go. There are others for us to gather."

Squeezing the arm of the older man that she'd only just met, Amu flashed one last smile before leaving the small hut with Ikuto. They were always busy, collecting the old and sometimes the new. Together, they worked well.

Watching the two leave through his door, Tsukasa lifted his hand to his cheek. His fingers lingered over the spot where he'd been kissed. Kissed by Death. This day would be his last on earth. Tsukasa could not say that he wasn't scared. Though, he found himself more than ready to embrace whatever came after death.

At least he'd lived long enough to see Death find love.

**~The End~**

.

Morg: There you go. Now you know what Amu chose.

Ikuto: What I want to know is why you didn't write it!?

Amu: Not every story need to have smut.

Morg: My plot, my choice. I never planned for sex in this story. Never.

Ikuto: I suppose it was good.

Amu: Yes, yes it was.

Morg: I am proud of this story. I hope everyone enjoyed it.


End file.
